Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant - Teaching Ideas





Poppleton in Winter is a great Growing Reader book with 3 fun stories- Icicles, The Bust, The Sleigh Ride. In Icicles Poppleton meets a new friend. In The Bust Poppleton decides to made a bust of his neighbor Cherry Sue and The Sleigh Ride story is about Poppleton and his friends going on a sleigh ride to celebrate his birthday.

Your students will love these stories and now you can create a quick and meaningful activity or lesson with the information and ideas below. But, if your students need practice with compare and contrast you can use the FREEBIE I created to go with it (found below).


Reading level: 1.9
Theme/subject: winter, friends and friendship
Genre: fiction

*This book contains 3 separate stories.
            Icicles
            The Bust
            The Sleigh Ride

Suggested Vocabulary/phrases: (Icicles) icicles, bonk, finch, picket fence (The Bust) pagoda, hooked a rug, make a bust, mold, molding, molded, tweaked (The Sleigh Ride) disappointed

Reading skills and strategies:
  • Asking questions - {possible questions before}I wonder what the story is going to be about. I wonder what Poppleton is going to do in winter. {possible questions during}(Icicles) I wonder if anyone is going to get hurt from the icicles falling on them. I wonder if Poppleton will take the icicles down. I wonder what Poppleton and the finch are going to make with the icicles. (The Bust) I wonder what a pagoda is. I wonder what Poppleton is going to make this winter. I wonder what a bust is. I wonder why he doesn’t just invite Cherry Sue over. I wonder if Cherry Sue will like the bust.  (The Sleigh Ride) I wonder if Poppleton will ever get that sleigh ride.  {possible questions after} (Icicles) I wonder what more adventures Poppleton and finch will do together. (The Bust) I wonder what Poppleton’s next project will be. (The Sleigh Ride) I wonder what Poppleton will want to do next year for his birthday.  **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.
  • Author's point of view – Third. Be sure to find 3 pieces of evidence to support this (him, his, they).
  • Author's purpose – entertain. {evidence} Have students find evidence from one or all of the stories.
  • Beginning, middle, end - {most important event from beginning} (Icicles) Poppleton liked his icicles. (The Bust) Poppleton was trying to figure out what to do this winter. (The Sleigh Ride) Poppleton called all his friends to go on a sleigh ride. {most important event from middle} (Icicles) Everyone kept telling Poppleton to get rid of the icicles. (The Bust) Poppleton kept going to Cherry Sue’s to see what she looked like. (The Sleigh Ride) Everybody was busy and couldn’t go on a sleigh ride with Poppleton. {most important event from end} (Icicles) Finch and Poppleton turned the fallen icicles into a fence. (The Bust) Cherry Sue came over so Poppleton could finish the bust of her. (The Sleigh Ride) All Poppleton’s friends came over and surprised him with cookies and cakes for his birthday.
  • Cause and effect(Icicles) How come Poppleton didn’t listen to anyone about his icicles?  Because he loved his icicles. How come finch bumped into the icicles? Because he wasn’t looking where he was going. Why did finch feel bad? Because he knocked down all of Poppleton’s icicles.  Why was Poppleton glad finch knocked down the icicles? Because Poppleton made a new friend. (The Bust) Why did Poppleton hook a rug? Because winter always made him feel creative. Why did Poppleton go buy clay? Because he was going to make a bust of his neighbor Cherry Sue. How come Poppleton kept going over to Cherry Sue’s house? Because he kept forgetting what she looked like. Why did Cherry Sue tweak Poppletons nose? Because Poppleton was driving her crazy. Why did Cherry Sue give Poppleton a little kiss? Because the bust looked just like her when he was done. (The Sleigh Ride) How come Cherry Sue could not go on a sleigh ride with Poppleton? Because she was making cookies. How come Hudson could not go on a sleigh ride with Poppleton? Because he was baking a cake. How come Fillmore could not go on a sleigh ride with Poppleton? Because he was stirring some fudge. How come Poppleton was disappointed? Because there was no one to go on a sleigh ride with him. Why did all of Poppletons friends surprise him? Because it was his birthday. How come Poppleton didn’t make a birthday wish? Because he had everything he wanted.
  • Character analysis - describe Poppleton {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character}
  • Character change – (The Sleigh Ride) Poppleton was sad at the beginning of the story because there was no one to go on a sleigh ride with him. At the end of the story Poppleton was happy because all his friends remembered his birthday, brought him cookies and cakes and took him on a sleigh ride.
  • Compare & contrast – Compare Poppleton in each story.
  • Connections - {possible text-to-self connections} (Icicles) having icicles hanging from your house. Having icicles fall off your roof. (The Bust) being creative during the winter. Having made something with clay. (The Sleigh Ride) Wanting to do something but not being able to find someone to do it with you. Being surprised on your birthday. Going on a sleigh ride. {possible text-to-text connections} Connect each of the books.
  • Main idea & details - (Icicles) {main idea} The story is mostly about Poppleton loving his icicles. {details} Gus the mail turtle told him to take them down but he wouldn’t. Poppleton would measure his icicles. Finch and Poppleton ended up making a picket fence with the icicles after they fell down. (The Bust) {main idea} The story is mostly about Poppleton making a bust of his neighbor Cherry Sue. {details} Poppleton went to the art store to get clay for the bust. Poppleton went to Cherry Sue’s house to see what her hair looked like. Cherry Sue came over and sat for 5 hours so Poppleton could finish the bust of her. (The Sleigh Ride) {main idea} The story is mostly about Poppleton wanting to go on a sleigh ride. {details} Poppleton called Cherry Sue to go on a sleigh ride. Poppleton was sad that none of his friends could go on a sleigh ride. Poppleton’s friends came over and surprised him for his birthday and took him on a sleigh ride.
  • Plot(Icicles) the turning point or climax in the story was when finch knocked all the icicles down. (The Bust) the turning point or climax of the story was when Cherry Sue tweaked Poppleton’s nose. (The Sleigh Ride) the turning point or climax of the story was when his friends come to surprise him for his birthday.
  • Predict(Icicles) What do you think the story is going to be about? Do you think Poppleton will take the icicles down. Do you think anyone will get hurt because of those icicles? What do you think finch and Poppleton will do with the fallen icicles? (The Bust) What do you think the story will be about? What do you think Poppleton will create? Do you think Poppleton will invite Cherry Sue to come over? Do you think Cherry Sue will like the bust of her? (The Sleigh Ride) What do you think the story is going to be about? Do you think anyone will be able to go on a sleigh ride with Poppleton? What do you think Poppleton will do since nobody can go on a sleigh ride?
  • Problem & solution(Icicles){problem} the problem is that Poppleton loves his icicles but nobody else does. {solution} after finch knocked the icicles down Poppleton and finch made a picket fence. (The Bust){problem} Poppleton couldn’t remember what Cherry Sue looked like. {solution} Cherry Sue came over to sit for Poppleton to finish the bust. (The Sleigh Ride){problem} There was nobody to go on a sleigh ride with Poppleton. {solution} All Poppleton’s friends came over and surprised him with cookies and cakes and a sleigh ride.
  • Story elements - list title, author, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poppleton-in-Winter-Compare-Contrast-Freebie-1046942

 IT'S FREE!!


 Happy planning!

No comments

Thoughts and comments are always welcome!