Crystal Pictures Lesson Plan Template printable pdf download

Snowflake Bentley

Mary Jane Inkrott, third-grade teacher,

St. Agatha School

Columbus, Ohio

Lesson Summary for Grade 3

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is a biography of Wilson Bentley, a

Vermont farmer, who devoted his life to the study and photography of snowflakes. In his

lifetime, Bentley developed a technique of microphotography that revealed to the world

these truths about snowflakes: snowflakes are hexagonal crystals of ice, no two

snowflakes are alike, and each snowflake is startlingly beautiful. In this lesson students

are introduced to crystals through Snowflake Bentley and then create crystal pictures of

their own. Cross-curricular activities in art, social studies, language arts, and math are

also included.

Science Activity: Crystal Pictures

Students observe crystal formation on various types of papers while drawing pictures.

Source: Sarquis, J.L.; Sarquis, M.; Williams, J.P. Teaching Chemistry with TOYS;

McGraw-Hill: New York, 1995; pp 19–24. (ISBN 0-07-064722-4)

Key Science Topics:

• crystals, crystallization

• evaporation

• solids

Key Process Skills:

• observing

• comparing/contrasting

Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Learning Outcomes for Science:

2. Organize materials to make observations of various crystals.

3. Measure amounts needed for solutions using standard units.

4. Carry out science activity, following given guidelines.

9. Explain safety procedures, especially food safety rules.

Introducing the Activity:

Have students compile a class list of things made of crystals. Choices may include sugar,

table salt, diamonds, and ice. A collage of crystals can be made and displayed in the

classroom. Explain to the students that you can find crystals almost everywhere. Crystals

come in many shapes and sizes. Create a crystal web chart on chart paper. Ask students

how snowflakes can be crystals.

Explain to students that Snowflake Bentley is the true story (biography) of a man who

devoted his life to the study and photography of snowflakes. Through his work, he

showed that snowflakes are hexagonal crystals of ice and that each one is unique. Point

out that before Willie Bentley was able to photograph snowflakes, he spent three winters

Crystal Pictures Lesson Plan Template