1 Activity Kit Arctic White by Danna Smith illustrated by Lee White Henry Holt ISBN: 978-1-62779-104-5 When you live in the Arctic in winter, everything is a shade of white." A young girl looks around her home in the Arctic and sees only white, white, white...but one day her grandfather takes her on a journey through the tundra. And at the end of their cold walk across the ice, they find something special that brings color into their world. Use these activities to further the picture book fun!
2 Art In the book, Arctic White, the girl and her grandfather paint pictures of the Northern Lights. Create your own art of the Northern Lights in the box below.
3 Writing and Storytelling In the book, Arctic White, the girl explains her surroundings in shades of white: When you live in the Arctic in winter, everything is a shade of white. The blue-white of the tundra. The yellow-white of the polar bear. The silver-white of the arctic fox. Activity: Get a stack of paint chips from your local hardware store. Sort them into shades of colors from light tones to mid tones to dark tones. Write or tell a story about the shades of colors you discovered and how they make you feel.
4 Sensory Play Make Snow If Mother Nature is not giving you snow where you live, you can make it! Ingredients: 1lb baking soda 1 can unscented shaving cream 2 drops lavender oil (optional) First, find an adult to help you make your snow. Place a tarp or sheet on the floor for playtime and easy clean up. In large bowl, add 1 pound baking soda. Squirt shaving cream into bowl. Start with a large handful of it then add as needed. Add 2 drops of lavender oil if desired. Knead the snow, letting it squish between your fingers. Does it feel cold? Children must be supervised. Do not eat. More ideas for your snow: Add glitter for sparkly fun. Place in a clear container and give a gift of snow to a friend.
5 Arctic White Word Search D Y J H G S Z Q H O J V R S Q G K Q U R I J R E D T L G R E E N F F P J O D E U Y S A V P A R K A N Q O H N N G I H B Y X I N D R R O P G O O X A E V E T O T L B W H I T E H T W W R J Y R P A S E I D E K M A U P L O C X K U U L F N P H C V D N Q R H N T Z Z U R F D D R D G L D Z R I L S I W M R P L O Y N W O R A N I N F M C I Q F L A Z X E A A J S E R T U B D N Y B E N Y U L N R F R E S S H S N T N Y P T J N K X R G N U U D Q R Q E A P O E L F F I L U D L M W J O X R D B H R X C E T C C O B H R T L R O Q S T N W N C P I A N J O Y T O X F T L S U D V D I I P K V Q O V C G R A Y X S J S X C A U R O R A F O X I C E L A I D J S O K H R W W E G arctic ice red seal snow friends blue tundra wind winter hope grandfather colors fox aurora owl journey gray green purple white parka lantern footprints
6 Northern Lights Q & A What is the Arctic? A. region around the South Pole B. A region around the North Pole C. Sea ice D. Middle East What causes the Northern Lights? A. Electrons from Solar Winds B. Reflection of light off the ice C. Light passing through polluted air D. Beacons What is actually glowing in the sky when you see the Northern Lights? A. Electrons B. Neon Lights C. Rainbows D. Gases What is another name for the Northern Lights? A. Twilight B. Radiant beams C. Aurora borealis D. Midnight Sun Which color is the most common color displayed in the Northern Lights? A. Yellow B. Red C. Purple D. Green In Arctic White, Grandfather shares nature s beauty with his granddaughter. If you were to take someone with you to see the Northern Lights, who would you take and why? I would take with me to see the Northern Lights because.
7 Northern Lights Answer Key What is the Arctic? Answer: B The Arctic is the region around the North Pole. Although it is icy, cold and treeless, the Arctic is home to many animals who are built to tolerate harsh, freezing temperatures such as the Polar Bear, Arctic Hare, Tundra Swan, Snowy Owl, and more. During the winter, parts of the Arctic Circle remain hidden from the sun so it is often dark day and night. The Arctic gets its name from a Greek word meaning near the bear referring to the Big Bear (Ursa Major) and Little Bear (Ursa Minor) constellations that can be seen clearly in the Arctic sky. What causes the Northern Lights? Answer: A Electrons from Solar Winds. Colorful displays in the sky are seen when charged particles are thrown off the Sun as solar wind, travel across space, then interact with the Earth s magnetic field. What is actually glowing in the sky when you see the Northern Lights? Answer: D Gases. Oxygen gives off the green color of the Northern Lights, Nitrogen causes the blue or red colors. What is another name for the Northern Lights? Answer: C Aurora Borealis. In 1619, the astronomer Galileo Galilei created the term Aurora Borealis for the shimmering lights of color stretching across the night sky. Aurora was the name of the goddess of the dawn according to the Romans, and Boreas was the god of the north wind. Which color is the most common color displayed in the Northern Lights? Answer: D Green
8 Game Glow Necklace Ring Toss In the book, Arctic White, the girl watches colors dance across the sky. Purple swirling, green glowing, blue swooping, red pulsing. Similar colors of the Northern Lights can be found in glow necklaces. What you will need: 1 Glow Stick 3-6 Glow Necklaces One 2 liter empty soda bottle. Open bottle and insert one activated glow stick. Fill bottle with water and twist cap closed. Place soda bottle on flat surface. Open packages of glow necklaces, snap to activate the color then connect the ends of each one to form a ring. Dim the lights. Take turns tossing the glow rings onto the glowing soda bottle. How many tosses can you make around the bottle?