Polar Express Sequencing Activity
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is a December classic. In this follow-up activity, children go back over the story and practice retelling it (an important comprehension skill) by numbering six picture squares in the order they happened in the book.
What You'll Need
A copy of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, one sequencing worksheet per child (with six illustrated story events), crayons or colored pencils, and a pencil for numbering.
How to Run the Activity
Read The Polar Express aloud at circle time. Go slow and stop to look at the illustrations together. Van Allsburg's artwork is worth the time.
After reading, bring children to a table, or leave the activity out in an open work area so they can come to it on their own.
Go over the sequencing worksheet as a group. Read each of the six squares out loud and talk about which part of the story it shows. Depending on age and reading level, some children will need help reading the descriptions.
Children write their name at the top, then number the squares 1 to 6 in the small boxes, in the order the events happened in the book.
When everyone is done, come back together and go over the order as a group. Children can explain why they put things where they did.
Extension Ideas
Serve hot cocoa while they work. It goes with the hot chocolate scene in the book and makes the activity feel like an event.
After sequencing, have children draw their favorite scene from the book on the back of the worksheet or in their journals.
Older children can write a sentence about each event in the order they numbered them, which turns the sequencing into a short retelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is this activity for?
Kindergarten through Grade 2. Pre-K children can join in with more adult help reading the squares. Talking through the order out loud is still worth doing even if they don't write the numbers on their own.
What if children disagree on the order?
Use it. Have them go back to the book and find the pages that show each event. Using the text to back up an answer is the comprehension skill this activity is working on.
Can I use this with a different book?
Yes. The format works with any story that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Make your own six-square worksheet with events from the book your class is reading.