Multidisciplinary Science Menu Featuring Snowflakes, Santa Physics, Antarctic Biology, and More.

This Google Slides lesson uses short, curated videos to explore science concepts connected to winter holidays through a structured student-choice format. Students select from a set of video-based investigations and analyze each topic using guided questions.

Students choose from approximately ten winter-themed science topics and:

• watch a short, kid-friendly video

• answer content-based and reasoning questions

• explain the scientific mechanisms behind familiar winter phenomena

Topics include examples such as:

• why evergreen trees remain green in winter

• how snowflakes form

• how Antarctic fish survive freezing temperatures

• the physics of spinning dreidels

• and how snowmen can be built effectively

The lesson is organized as a choice board, with a recommended number of activities to complete while allowing flexibility based on time and instructional goals. Each holiday icon links to a slide with a video and related questions, and a navigation icon returns students to the main menu.

This lesson is designed to support:

• application of science concepts to seasonal contexts

• explanation of real-world phenomena

• engagement through structured student choice

• short-form analysis of multimedia science sources

It functions well as:

• a seasonal science activity

• an enrichment or review task

• a low-prep digital choice board lesson

The structure allows students to investigate multiple science ideas while practicing explanation and interpretation across a variety of short, focused topics.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SCHOOL/DISTRICT ALLOWS YOUTUBE ACCESS BEFORE PURCHASE.

Grade Recommendation

Best Fit:

• Middle School: Grades 7–8

• High School: Grades 9–10 (as enrichment or pre-break lesson)

Course Alignment:

• General Science

• Life Science

• Biology

• Earth Science

• Physical Science

Rationale:
The choice board contains videos about:

• Snowflake formation (chemistry/physics)

• Antarctic adaptations (biology)

• Santa physics (motion & forces)

• Earth’s poles (Earth/space science)

• Evergreen biology (botany)

• Candle combustion (chemistry)

• Wool structure (materials science)

All topics are accessible to MS but extendable for HS.

To preview this lesson, click here.

Cross-Curricular Connections / Extensions

ELA

• Summary writing

• Analysis of scientific media

• CER writing extensions

Social Studies / Geography

• North Pole vs. South Pole

• Cultural traditions (dreidel, mistletoe)

Art

• Create models of snowflakes

• Draw diagrams to explain adaptations of Antarctic fish

Technology / Engineering

• Force & motion modeling (Santa physics)

• Material science (properties of wool)

Great Extension Ideas

• Students create a “Holiday Science Mini-Presentation”

• Compare two topics (e.g., freezing resistance in evergreens vs. fish)

• Design a winter experiment (melting rates, candle burn tests, snowflake symmetry)

Join the Lesson Laboratory and Teach for Tomorrow!

NGSS Standards (with SEP + CCC)

(Choice board aligns broadly; individual selections link to different content strands.)

Performance Expectations Potentially Addressed

Middle School

• MS-PS1-2: Chemical reactions (candle combustion, wool chemistry)

• MS-PS3-1 & 3-5: Energy transfer (Antarctic fish, candle flame)

• MS-LS1-6: Photosynthesis (evergreen physiology)

• MS-LS1-7: Energy processes in organisms

• MS-LS4-4: Adaptations (Antarctic fish, mistletoe parasite)

• MS-ESS2-5: Weather & crystal formation (snowflakes)

• MS-ESS1-1: Earth’s tilt & poles

High School

• HS-PS1-4: Thermodynamics in reactions (candle burning)

• HS-PS2-1: Forces & motion (Santa physics)

• HS-LS1-2: Structure & function (evergreen needles, antifreeze proteins)

• HS-LS4-2: Evolutionary adaptations

• HS-ESS1-1: Earth–Sun relationships

Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs)

• Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information: Watching and synthesizing scientific videos

• Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Interpreting scientific explanations visually

• Constructing Explanations: Summaries and responses require scientific reasoning

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)

• Cause & Effect:

  • Why fish don’t freeze

  • Why snowflakes have symmetry

  • Why evergreens retain color

• Patterns:

  • Snowflake geometry

  • Seasonal adaptations

• Energy & Matter:

  • Combustion in candles

  • Heat transfer in polar climates

• Structure & Function:

  • Protein adaptations in Antarctic fish

  • Needle adaptations in evergreens

  • Wool fibers & insulation

Common Core Standards 

ELA / Literacy in Science

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 / RST.9-10.7
Integrate multimedia information from science videos.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 / WHST.9-10.2
Write explanatory texts that convey scientific information.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1 / WHST.9-10.1
Construct arguments using evidence from video content.