Snowmen Quick Facts
• The first documented illustration of a snowman was
found in 1380 in a “Book of Hours.”
• The largest snowman ever made was a snowwoman in
Bethel, Maine in 2008 measuring over 122 feet tall.
• People have been searching a long time for the
“Abominable Snowman”, or Yeti, with no luck.
• Frosty the Snowman was created in 1969 for television
and is based on the popular children’s song produced
in 1950.
• It is difficult to make a snowman from packing
powdered snow because packing causes the
temperature to drop and the snow will not stick to
itself.
• The first use of the word snowman dates back to
1827.
Literature Connection: Sneezy the Snowman Make a Sneezy to use when reading and when students retell Sneezy the Snowman. Construct a snowman and cut a space near the nose to insert a water sprayer. Then make a misty sneeze each time Sneezy says “a-­‐choo.” Students can add different winter clothing items to their paper Sneezy just as the children in the book did. Essential Vocabulary
• Abominable Snowman – a fictional hairy creature
rumored to live in the Himalayas.
• coal – combustible black or brown sedimentary rock
burned to create heat; material usually used for
making snowman eyes
• Frosty – a fictional snowman famous for coming to life
and then melting away
• snowball – snow that has been rolled and packed into
a ball; three large snowballs usually make the base of
a snowman
• snowman – a snowman is an anthropomorphic
(having human characteristics) snow sculpture
Lesson Ideas Classy Snowpeople Make a class full of look-­‐alike snowpeople. Cut out large snowmen from white paper. Have students draw or cut and attach features that resemble themselves. They can add objects that show their hobbies, such as a soccer ball for a soccer player. Put the snowmen on a bulletin board and have students guess which person is represented. For a fun twist, make some snowmen to represent adults in the building. This idea was adapted from Winter Idea Book. Math and Money: Snowman Construction Create a list of items that could be used to construct a snowman and assign each a fictional monetary amount and weight. Challenge students to use the list to create a snowman that fits your budget and weight requirements. Tie in writing by creating persuasive papers to sell the snowmen. This idea was adapted from Snowman Construction Company: Money and Math Merriment. States of Matter Snowmen Fill three balloons with water and freeze. Cut open the formed ice balls and use salt to stick each ball to the next to make a snowman. Felt accessories can be put on with salt as well. Place the iceman in a bucket in the classroom and observe him as he melts and eventually evaporates. Students will get an up-­‐close lesson in the states of matter with a fun classroom friend that slowly disappears. Snowman Habitats Investigate different habitats around the world. Then challenge students to create or illustrate a snowman made from items in that habitat. A snowman from the Amazon might be made of foliage and twigs, while a snowman from the beach might be made with sand and shells. Resource Connections Snowman Estimation Create several snowman outlines on large paper. Have students estimate how many cotton balls can fill the snowman. Groups can work collaboratively to fill their snowman with cotton balls. Count the final number and compare to the original estimate. Literature Connection: The Biggest Snowball Ever Read The Biggest Snowball Ever and then turn your students into true snowmen. Cover a white circle with cotton balls. Attach fun arms, legs, and a cut out picture for the head. Complete the ball with mittens and a snow hat. Snowballs can be hung in windows or from the ceiling. Lesson Plans • Frosty Fun Students make a snowman in class and
predict how long it will take to melt. • Wonderful Wintertime Students draw snowmen,
explore winter adjectives, and more. Literature Connections • Snowmen All Year Booktalk
• Snowmen at Night? Blog Post
Snowmen Craft Activities • Balloon Snowmen
• Sock Snowmen
• Snowmen on a Stick
• Craft Stick Snowman
Book List