Seasonal · Best taught in December
Polar Express Lesson Plans and Activities
Winter journeys, prediction and story elements. Below is a lesson shape that works across K-5, plus 13 printable pages sorted by grade.
Lesson steps
1. Introduce the theme
Open by connecting Polar Express to something students already know about it. Take what they offer without correcting, so you learn what they think before you teach.
2. Teach the skill
The theme is the hook, not the lesson. Name the actual skill the practice pages target and model it once, thinking out loud.
3. Practice together
Work two or three items as a class, with students supplying each step.
4. Independent practice
Hand out the pages for your grade below. Circulate while students work.
5. Share and close
Two or three students share their work. Tie it back to Polar Express so the theme lands as more than decoration.
