A snowflake’s message to the world
Learning Objective: Students will read a poem about a snowflake and identify the poem’s point of view.
The Snowflake
Before I melt,
Come, look at me!
This lovely icy filigree!
Of a great forest
In one night
I make a wilderness
Of white:
By skyey cold
Of crystals made,
All softly, on
Your finger laid,
I pause, that you
My beauty see:
Breathe, and I vanish
Instantly.
Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Have your students make paper snowflakes (or virtual ones online at SnowDays) and then choose two words (one from the poem) that also describe their snowflakes.
Have your students read another poem that celebrates snow, “A Winter Poem” by Nikki Giovanni, from our February 2019 issue. Remind your students that the snowflake in “The Snowflake” encourages you to admire it before it disappears. Ask: How does the speaker in “A Winter Poem” show admiration for snowflakes?
More About the Article
Content-Area Connections
Science: snowflakes
Essential Question
How can we appreciate the beauty of nature, especially when it’s fleeting?
Key Skills
point of view, text features, main idea, text evidence, setting, interpreting text, theme, text to self
1. PREPARING TO READ (10 minutes)
Set a Purpose for Reading
Read aloud the title of the poem and its author’s name, and ask students to predict what the poem might be about.
Read aloud the bubble labeled Point of View, and instruct students to keep this prompt in mind as they read the poem.
Preview Text Features and Vocabulary
Direct students’ attention to the blue bubbles explaining the meanings of skyey and filigree. Ask them what this information might tell them about snowflakes.
Point out any vocabulary terms that may be challenging for your students, and ask if anyone knows their definitions. Look up their meanings together, as needed.
Ask students to describe the images of the snowflakes.
2. READING AND DISCUSSING
Read the poem to the class, play the audio version, or use text-to-speech.
Next, ask students to take turns reading aloud each line in the poem.
Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions (30 minutes)
3. SEL FOCUS
Appreciation
The snowflake in this poem reminds us all to appreciate the small examples of beauty around us. Ask: What is something in your life that you’d like to pause and take a moment to appreciate? Answers will vary. Students may choose to appreciate an element of nature, like a particular tree, the beach, or a favorite outdoor space where they play. Or they may focus on a person, such as a friend, family member, community member, or public figure. They may choose to appreciate activities or hobbies that bring them joy.
4. SKILL BUILDING
Featured Skill: Point of View
GREAT IDEAS FOR REMOTE LEARNING
Have students record video or audio of themselves reciting the poem. Invite students to share their recordings with you or, if they would like, with the class
Differentiate and Customize
Read the poem aloud as students follow along. Pause after lines 1-3, lines 4-7, and lines 8-15 to discuss what is happening in those lines. Afterward, have students work in pairs to complete the Point of View Skill Builder.
Before reading the poem, help your ELL students preview any potentially unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary words. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to go over the meanings of wilderness, crystals, beauty, vanish, instantly, and any other words your students might not know. Post the definitions where students can refer to them as they read.
Direct students to choose another object from nature to research. For example, they might choose a type of leaf, flower, or rock. Afterward, have them write a short paragraph from that object’s point of view. The paragraph should show what students learned about the objects during their research.
Ask students to think up their own illustrations for the poem. They might choose to describe the illustration with words or create it themselves with a drawing, collage, or other art medium of their choosing.
