“January Thaw” from A Sand County Almanac

Created Feb. 6, 2024 by Sandy Benton, Brittany Hager

Lesson Title:

“January Thaw” from A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

Abstract:

Through this interactive, hands-on lesson, students will read and gain an understanding of Aldo Leopold’s essay, “January Thaw”. This lesson is best taught in January and/or when animal tracks are present outside.

Grade Level:

This lesson is written for students in grades 6-8 but may be adapted.

Lesson author(s):

This lesson is developed by Brittany Hager (bhager@hayward.k12.wi.us) and uses an essay written by Aldo Leopold.

Instructional Materials Needed (if applicable):

Copies of the essay January Thaw for each student
Paper (one sheet regular sized sheet for each student)
Paper (one larger sized sheet for each vocabulary group)
Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
Bed sheet with animal tracks printed on it
Digital cameras or devices that students can take outside to take pictures
Computer with internet access to https://siftr.org/
One classroom account on Siftr website or individual student accounts on Siftr website

×	Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts Addressed (ELA Full Document or Literacy in All Subject Areas Full Document): Reading Standards for Literature Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. Writing Standards Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic Production and Distribution of Writing Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. Range of Writing Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
×	Wisconsin Standards for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Standards Addressed (Full Document or searchable spreadsheet): ELS.C1.C.m Ask questions about patterns and cause and effect relationships in natural and cultural systems observed outdoors daily, seasonally, and over time. Examine how curiosity and wonder help formulate questions to pursue knowledge about everyday experiences.
×	Evidence of Need:	Evidence of Success: Through formative assessment, the teacher will know if students have met learning standards through evaluating student writing, group work, and Siftr writing and contribution.
×	Inquiry Experience 1 Setting and Estimated Time: This portion of the lesson can be done outside, in an outdoor classroom type setting or inside the classroom. It will take one to two class periods. Learning Target: I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a “January Thaw”, including figurative and connotative meanings Formative Assessment: To gather evidence of student learning, teachers will evaluate vocabulary selections and definitions, as well as annotations of the “January Thaw” text. Procedure: Introduce the lesson by laying out a sheet with animal tracks on it. Students will look at the tracks and interpret what happened to the animals in order that they would make tracks like that. Have students share their interpretation of the tracks. Introduce Aldo Leopold and A Sand County Almanac Tell students that Aldo Leopold wrote an essay based on the tracks and signs of animals that he observed, called January Thaw. Distribute a copy of the essay January Thaw to each of the students. Explain to the students that in Leopold’s novel A Sand County Almanac, he has an essay that corresponds with each month of the year and that you will be reading the essay on January today. Tell the students to pay special attention to the language that Leopold uses and highlight or circle any words that they do not know the meaning of. Have the students take turns reading January Thaw. Reading these essays aloud helps with visualization. When finished with reading, have the students share any of the words that they circled or highlighted. Record those words on the board. Words that students may find include: mundane digression speculate laboriously microtine mottled bespeak impute Corpulent Break the students up into enough groups. (A word for each group.) Give each group a large sheet of paper and have them list their word at the top, draw an illustration of the word in the middle, and write the definition in their own words at the bottom of the page. Have each group share their word with the rest of the class.
×	Inquiry Experience 2 Setting and Estimated Time: This portion of the lesson can be done outside, in an outdoor classroom type setting or inside the classroom. It will take one class period. Learning Target: I can use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary in my writing to inform my reader. Formative Assessment: To gather evidence of student learning, teachers will evaluate students writing about an animal not mentioned in the “January Thaw” essay and can note contributions students make when sharing ideas for more descriptive language than, “The moose walked through the woods.” Procedure: Pass out a sheet of paper to each student and have them draw a scene from the essay that they could clearly picture as they were reading. Have students put away their colored pencils and come back together for discussion. Ask for volunteers to show their illustration. Have the other students guess what part of the essay was drawn. Why is it important for authors to use descriptive language? On page 4, why didn’t Aldo Leopold write “the mouse ran across the track” instead of “darted damply across the skunk track?” Write on the board: “The moose walked through the woods.” Ask the students to think of a way to say this so that the reader could get more of a picture in their mind. Tell the students that for the next class period, they are to write a description of an animal NOT mentioned in the book and how they are affected by the January thaw. Inform the students that their peers, as well as yourself, should be able to read the description that they will write and picture in our minds what the animal is doing.
×	Inquiry Experience 3 Setting and Estimated Time: This portion of the lesson will be done in a combination of the classroom and outside the classroom. It will take one to two class periods. Learning Target: I can write routinely over a shorter time frame to inform my audience about natural phenomena. Formative Assessment: To gather evidence of student learning, teachers will evaluate students’ writing and interpretation in their Siftr contribution. Procedure: PRIOR to the beginning of your lesson, create a Siftr similar to my public January Thaw Siftr (view my Siftr by going to https://siftr.org/ and searching January Thaw) that I created for my students. Your students can post to my Siftr, but by creating your own you can manage the permissions and sift the data yourself! To learn how to use and create a Siftr, use this great WISELearn Resource! https://tinyurl.com/siftrintro Have students go onto the https://siftr.org/ website to create a profile or pull up a classroom account on a teacher computer and project it. Students should not use their real names as a username as their profile will be public. They should also NOT post identifiable pictures of themselves or their classmates as the location of the pictures will be public. Using a phone that can take a picture and post to the Siftr website or a camera, students should go outside and find a set of tracks. Once the student has taken the picture, they should Camera- go inside, upload the photo to their computer and complete the necessary fields Phone- add the photo to your classroom January Thaw Siftr and complete the necessary fields The main field that students should focus on is the descriptive writing section. Students will write a descriptive piece on what happened in order to create those tracks. They should be sure to use Leopold’s writing as a model text and include vivid and descriptive language. Their writing should create a picture in their readers’ mind. Once all pieces have been posted, review posts as a class and enjoy each others’ writing!

Standards