I want to send home a literacy bag that will stay one night with each of my children. I want the parents to read The Polar Express to my students and maybe have 1 writing activity and 1 or 2 other activities (not worksheets) to do. I will have to send it out next week if I want to get it completed by Christmas! Thanks for any and all ideas!

[Cheresa]

I don't do a Polar Express bag, but we have a Polar Express Day. The kids wear their jammies to school, we eat hot cocoa and cookies, I set the classroom up like a train (they get a ticket to get on the train), and we read the book and watch the movie (compare and contrast the two), I also have a few literacy centers that we do along with the other activities. At the end of the day I give them a bell. You might want to put a bell in with it.

[teacherkathy]

I also do a Polar Express activity the last day before Christmas break. When the kids are at recess, I set the chairs up "train" fashion, turn out the lights except the many strands of holiday lights I have up, and I put on my conductor hat. I have meanwhile been heating hot chocolate in a pot in the classroom, and as the kids come in, I give them a ticket and have them take a seat in the "train." I blow my train whistle, yell "All Aboard the Polar Express" and start punching their tickets. Then I serve everyone hot chocolate and read the story book with a flashlight (it helps to have an older student or an adult helper to point the flashlight so the kids can see the pictures). Kids that I had YEARS ago still talk about it, and as other classes walk by my room that day, they're all complaining that they wish they could still do the Polar Express!

[Hylin]

http://www.education-world.com/a_les...esson344.shtml



http://www.teachingheart.net/polar.html



http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/...fungames.shtml


Those are some website links to tons of Polar Express relatedstuff. Have fun!

Wow lots of great ideas... now I am not sure if I want to do it with my class or send the bag! lol

[msharkey]

Wow! I've never done The Polar Express Take Home Bag (I do do Holidays Around the World) but I LOVE the idea of each child taking home the book everyday and doing an activity with his or her parent. Do you think it's too much to send home a "care package" and directions to make the reindeer with the book?

I was hoping I could send home something more for the parents like a question guide of some sort. Does anyone have anything like that by any chance?

Thanks!!
Maureen

[Mrs. T.]

Our kindergarten classes are doing a Polar Express day this year...but in the bag you could include a hot chocolate packet. You could create a Christmas memory game using clipart with either tickets or cocoa mug shapes for the cards. You could give a set amount of bells or tickets and have the students create addition or subtraction sentences with them. You could have a journal and have the students write about their favorite Christmas present.

Thanks for the websites above too!

[msharkey]

Mrs T,
Love the hot chocolate packet idea! (and it's cheaper and more cozy!) Also love the idea of making addition and/or subtraction problems with clip art. A reply above has a graph activity with Polar Express Clip art that could easily be used to do this! THANKS!!!!

[BookMuncher]

I think it would make for a very special experience if they got to read it at home with their parents and THEN you did the polar express day once everyone has had a chance to get the bag. Repeated interactions with books always allow for a deeper understanding and it is also a way to pull the parents in.

[msharkey]

Have to agree with BookMuncher. If I had the opportunity to invite parents in, I would send home the story with each of the students and then, have a gathering afterwards - like a celebration kind of thing.
I wish I had that kind of environment I could do that with. I have very little parent involvement this year. I know it sounds horrible but I don't want to take any more time away from my family if I don't think I will get a decent showing from the parents in my class. I have 4 year old twins and I live 1 hour from where I work so it is incredibly difficult to do anything at night or before school.
I still would like to send Polar Express home with the kids and send home a project with them to do with their parents (for those who do it). If I get a good response, maybe I'll be persuaded to change my mind.

Thanks for listening/reading

Out of 20 students I only had 8 parents show up for meet the teacher night, so imagine how they are about other things! No supplies, no helping with homework, no book orders. It has been a tough year. I think that is why I would like to give them something to do with their children!