Winter Lesson Plans

Literature Lesson Plans

Sensory Lesson Plans

Chris Van Allsburg Lesson Plans

​Baby Bells

Activity:  

Baby Bells: Polar Express Lesson Plan

Lesson plan developed by Aurora Tollestrup, BS Ed. 

Age Group:

Infant Lesson Plan

* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with toddlers.

Objectives:  

Children will:

• make music with jingle bells by kicking their feet.

CDA Competency Standard:   

II.7.2a

• Activities and materials encourage children to dance, move and develop their musical abilities.

a) Music and dance/movement materials and activities are available for children daily.

Materials: 

• soft ribbon
• jingle bells
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Procedure: 

• Thread the jingle bells through the ribbon and loosely and carefully tie around the children’s ankle.
  
• Lay the children down in a safe place and sing the song excitedly.
  
• The goal is to get the infant to kick and move their feet so that they can hear the relationship between the jingle bells and their foot movement.​

​​​Jingle Bell Rhyme
​​by Debra Hasbrook, M. ED.

Shake’m high, shake’m low,
Shaking Jingle bells here we go.
Now shake, shake, shake,
Now shake, shake, shake.
When I shake my Jingle bells,
My smile comes out and my happy shows,
Shake’m fast, shake’m slow,
Shaking Jingle bells here we go.
Now shake, shake, shake,
Now shake, shake, shake

Assessment: 

• Assess children’s reaction to the smell and feel of the new paint. Did they notice the smell? Did they touch the paint to see if it felt different than normal paint?

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Author: Chris Van Allsburg

“I write for what's left of the eight-year-old still rattling around inside my head.”
Chris Van Allsburg

When Chris Van Allsburg was a child, he never exhibited much artistic interest. Born on June 18th, 1949, Chris and his older sister Karen, grew up in a picturesque neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His father ran the family-owned creamery making butter, cheese, ice cream and more. During his childhood he enjoyed exploring streams and open spaces and lived in a quaint neighborhood which he would later draw inspiration from.   

​During school, Chris didn’t take any art classes, yet upon a college admissions interview his senior year of high school, he chose to major in Architecture and Design at the University of Michigan. Giving the admissions counselor a made up story of his advanced art abilities, he was admitted to the program on the spot and later found out that his rouse would not hold up for long. It was in the sculpting classes that he took that Chris really excelled and was able to develop a real talent. Chris majored in sculpture at the university and graduated in 1972. He then went to graduate school at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to continue his education in sculpture.

​Chris became a successful sculptor and began drawing as a hobby. His wife, Lisa, introduced the idea of becoming a children’s book illustrator when she connected him with another illustrator. From there he wrote and illustrated 18 books and has illustrated many works, both published and unpublished. His style of illustration is complex and meticulous and adds a depth to the text within the book. 

References:

• Chris Van Allsburg Official Biography:  http://hmhbooks.com/chrisvanallsburg/biography.html 
• Chris Van Allsburg Official Books: http://hmhbooks.com/chrisvanallsburg/books.html 
• Phonological and Phonemic Awareness for Reading Rockets:  http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/phonologicalphonemic
• Storytelling in the First Three Years, By Susan Engel, Zero to Three: http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-language-literacy/the-emergence-of-storytelling.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/