Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening: A Literature Unit With a Poetry Focus

This post is part of the 31 MORE Days of Literature Unit Studies series. You can find all of the links to the thirty-one studies in this post. If you’d like to use these ideas to create your own unit study, this post has step-by-step instructions as well as a free unit study planner. (Want to know more about what, exactly, a unit study is? This post will help.)

While you’re reading and working on your unit study, you can download this free printables pack of graphic organizers for reading. It has a plot chart, venn diagram, KWL chart, two mini book report organizers, a character analysis chart, a plot outline chart, and a reading response sheet where students can record facts while reading.

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It’s often difficult to know just how to introduce poetry to young readers. “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost is one piece of poetry that has been illustrated in a beautiful way and turned into a picture book for young kids. In this literature unit, kids will explore poetry as well as do some fun snow-themed activities to go along with the book. (I’ve put a wide age range for this unit study. Choose the activities that will work best for the ages of your children.)

Book Information

Title- Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Author- Robert Frost; Illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Recommended ages– PreK-elementary (Although the book is a simple story that young kids will enjoy, I think you could use it even with older elementary kids to discuss elements of poetry.)

Synopsis– This picture book has the entire text of the Robert Frost poem. The illustrations provide a framework for talking about what is happening in the poem.

Language Arts- Poetry

Interpreting poetry– Before letting kids see the illustrations in this book, read them the story and let them draw what they picture is happening. Then look at the illustrations together. This is a good way to talk about interpreting poetry and how often different people might picture what’s happening in a different way.


Rhyme schemes– Look at the poem with the kids. Talk about which words rhyme. Then look at this explanation about rhyme schemes. What rhyme scheme does this poem have? Practice identifying rhyme schemes in the other poems at the site.

Rhyming words- Write the words of the poem out on a chart or large piece of paper. Identify words that rhyme in each stanza. Look at the spelling patterns of the rhyming words and have kids list other words that have that spelling pattern and that rhyme.

Types of poetry- Read this page with the kids to explain a few different types of poetry. What type of poetry is Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening? How many stanzas does it have?

Interpreting and illustrating poetry- It’s interesting to see this book and know how Susan Jeffers illustrated the poem, the story that she interpreted. Choose one of the classic kids poems on this page and have the kids think about what it means, what the story is. Have the kids illustrate the poem.

Snow Science

Learn about snow with this information, photos, and a video from Easy Science for Kids.

Weather Wiz Kids has some great information about snow, including answers to questions like “What is thundersnow?” and “Why is snow white?”.

What makes it snow? Watch this Free School video to find out.

Want to help the kids see how frost forms? Try this experiment from Science Sparks.

This experiment makes a beautiful snowflake and teaches kids how crystals are formed.

The Homeschool Scientist has some great information about how snowflakes are formed and why they are always six-sided.

Create erupting snow with this fun science experiment from Paging Fun Mums.

Crafts and Fun

If you don’t have any real snow, try this recipe for snow play-do.

Paint a pretty snow scene with this snow paint recipe.

Use the ideas in this post to make beautiful macaroni snowflakes.

Don’t have real snow? Make your own play snow.

This winter tree finger painting idea from Easy Peasy Fun is a cute craft and the technique would be a great way for kids to make their own illustrations for the poem.

Books of Poetry for Kids

Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

Poems to Learn by Heart

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children

Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry

A Child’s Book of Poems

Poetry Speaks to Children

Child’s Introduction to Poetry: Listen While You Learn About the Magic Words That Have Moved Mountains, Won Battles, and Made Us Laugh and Cry

A Child’s Garden of Verses

Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected for Boys and Girls

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings

Websites With Kids’ Poetry

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poems-kids

http://www.poetry4kids.com/poems

http://storyit.com/Classics/JustPoems/


http://www.fizzyfunnyfuzzy.com/

http://100.best-poems.net/100-best-kids-and-children-poems.html

Other Resources

Kenn Nesbitt is a former Children’s Poet Laureate. His website has lots of great resources for learning about poetry for kids and teachers.

This video is a beautiful one that puts the words of “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” with snowy pictures and the music of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

Homeschool Share has a great free poetry lapbook that will introduce kids to some well-known children’s poetry.