Winter Break Activities from AlphaPlus

Winter Break Plans, Poems and Songs

Winter Break is a drag-and-drop and Answer Garden conversation starter where learners can think about what they will do on the break.

Winter Poem is a poetry activity based on the poem Dust of Snow by Robert Frost. Learners can read and listen to the poem and then examine the rhyming pattern (ABAB). They can then compare that rhyming pattern with the rhyming pattern in Catch a Little Rhyme by Eve Merriam (AABB).

Merry Christmas is an advent calendar of Christmas songs.

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 Winter Solstice Stories and Activities

Winter Solstice - Start by watching a video overview about the Winter Solstice and then watch these two videos:

• Author and Journalist Waubgeshig Rice from Wasauksing First Nation shares the importance of winter solstice as a time of change and storytelling for indigenous peoples.

• Wilfred Buck of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Manitoba sharing the Cree story of the winter solstice.

After the introduction, you will have a choice to

• Learn about Cree Astronomy from Wilfred Buck and make a Turtle Calendar based on the 13 Moons.

• Go to the Winter Animals activity and hear stories about animals (see below).

• Plan a Winter Solstice Party.

  • Make a twig lantern or a jam jar lantern for a lantern walk.

  • Make clove orange decorations.

  • Make a warm, spicy drink.

  • Make a winter playlist.

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Winter Animal Songs and Stories

Winter Animals is made in Google Slides and gives learners a choice of stories or songs to listen to:

• Deer: A song called Deer Dancing Round a Broken Mirror by Bruce Cockburn and Rik Emmet.

• Owl: A TVO short about Kenojuak Ashevak and her painting, The Enchanted Owl.

• Raven: The Raven and the Owl, an Inuit legend put to song. There are two versions: one by The National Film Board of Canada and one by Becky Han.

• Fox: The Fox and the Whale, a 2016 Canadian animated short film directed by Robin Joseph.

• Skater: a 1980 animated film from the National Film Board of Canada narrated by the author of the story, Roch Carrier. There is a link to a 2023 riff on this story called the Hockey Jersey.

There are follow up activities in a Google Form and collaborative Slides.