Dear Educator/Librarian:

The Polar Express is enjoyed the world over by children and adults of all ages and, after nearly twenty years in publication, is still one of the most beloved and widely used books in classrooms across the country. So beloved indeed that it is the basis for a major motion picture from Warner Bros., arriving in theaters on November 10, 2004.

To help you share the magic of The Polar Express with your students, we have created a list of suggestions for using the book across the curriculum. See below for some ideas or use our more extensive teacher's guide for extended activities, writing exercises, and ideas for group discussion.

Click here for a teacher's guide to The Polar Express.

There are many Web sites that include information on Chris Van Allsburg and his books. Below is a list of some of the ones we find the most helpful.

www.chrisvanallsburg.com
Chris Van Allsburg's interactive Web site has extensive information on his books, as well as lots of fun games and activities.

http://www.nea.org
Visit the National Education Association's Web site.

http://www.cbcbooks.org/cbw/
Throw your Polar Express party during Children's Book Week!

http://www.ala.org
The American Library Association's site has information on Polar Express materials tied to their literacy and reading programs.

http://www.booksense.com
Many independent bookstores will be hosting Polar Express Pajama Parties this holiday season: find a store near you for information and news about local authors, store events, and myriad staff recommendations.

http://www.polarexpressmovie.com
Visit the Warner Bros. Pictures Web site to see a trailer of the Polar Express movie and read about the amazing technology behind the film.

Many sites have information on various authors and illustrators, resources for teachers and parents, and ideas on ways to encourage young people to read.

http://www.readingrockets.org
Read an exclusive interview with Chris Van Allsburg, as well as other strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn to read.

http://www.eduplace.com/author/vanallsburg/
Eduplace, a unit of Houghton Mifflin's School Division, provides teaching resources, textbook support, educational games, and more for K-8 teachers and students.

http://www.kidsreads.com
An online resource where kids can read about their favorite authors and illustrators, find book reviews, and explore special features.

http://www.carolhurst.com
This site, maintained by author Carol Hurst, contains book reviews, ideas for using books in the classroom, and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes, and professional topics.

http://www.teachingbooks.net
Extensive information on authors, illustrators, and book resources, including audio and visual components and valuable links.

We hope that you and your students will enjoy this timeless holiday story. Each of these ideas can be modified to match the level and needs of your students.

• Brainstorm winter words with the class.
• Ask children to imagine their own magical midnight train ride and write about what they see on their journey and what their final destination looks like.
• As a class, go through the book and pick out all of the adjectives and list them on a large sheet of paper. Do the same for the verbs and nouns.

As a way to begin using the book as the basis for a unit or simply as a treat for the children, host a Polar Express Pajama Party. Click here for complete instructions.

• Have students locate the North Pole on a globe or map. They can research and write a short report on the landscape, climate, and other characteristics of the North Pole

• Polar ice cap
• Northern lights
• Reindeer
• Weather and climate – what are the average high and low temps?

• Have children draw what they would see out the window of the Polar Express on its way to the North Pole.

• Give each child a bell. Play holiday songs to which they can ring the bells.
• Break the kids into groups of four. Give each group a song and have them come up with a way to accompany it with their bells.

For more fun with The Polar Express, try these games and activities.

Chris Van Allsburg is the creator of numerous books for children, many of which provide wonderful cross-curricular activities in the classroom.

Click here for more classroom ideas.

We have a created an extensive teacher's guide library for all of Chris Van Allsburg's titles. Every book has its own guide, complete with lesson plans and classroom activities.