Activity Overview
| Text Connections | |
|---|---|
| Text to Text | Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story |
| Text to Self | Connection that reminds you of something in your life. |
| Text to World | Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world. |
Students can easily make text-to-self connections throughout the book. In this activity, students will create a storyboard showing some of the text-to-self connections they made throughout the different stories.
The example storyboard shows one text to self connection for each story.
TEXT TO SELF
Text -"Icicles": Poppleton's house has lots of icicles.
"Poppleton was proud of them. He never knocked them down."
Self: This reminds me of my old house that used to have tons of icicles. You had to be careful, or else one could fall on you.
Text - "The Bust":
Poppleton is always creative in the winter.
"Another winter he painted stars all over his floors."
Self: This reminds me of when I painted the walls of my new room.
Text - "The Sleigh Ride": Poppleton is disappointed when he thinks all his friends cannot go on a sleigh ride.
"He sat in front of his window, feeling very sorry for himself."
Self: I feel disappointed and lonely when I have no one to play with.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows three text-to-self connections you have made with Poppleton in Winter.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify parts of Poppleton in Winter that you connect with. Put the name of the story in the "CHAPTER TITLE" box.
- Parts from the Poppleton in Winter go on the left side. The connections you make go on the right side.
- Create an image for each connection using scenes, characters, items, and text boxes.
- Write a description of how the text relates to you.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text Connections | Student made and labeled all three text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled two text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled one text connection correctly. |
| Examples of Connections | All examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections do not support understanding of text or are difficult to understand. |
| Illustration of Examples | Ideas are well organized. Images clearly show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand. |
Activity Overview
| Text Connections | |
|---|---|
| Text to Text | Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story |
| Text to Self | Connection that reminds you of something in your life. |
| Text to World | Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world. |
Students can easily make text-to-self connections throughout the book. In this activity, students will create a storyboard showing some of the text-to-self connections they made throughout the different stories.
The example storyboard shows one text to self connection for each story.
TEXT TO SELF
Text -"Icicles": Poppleton's house has lots of icicles.
"Poppleton was proud of them. He never knocked them down."
Self: This reminds me of my old house that used to have tons of icicles. You had to be careful, or else one could fall on you.
Text - "The Bust":
Poppleton is always creative in the winter.
"Another winter he painted stars all over his floors."
Self: This reminds me of when I painted the walls of my new room.
Text - "The Sleigh Ride": Poppleton is disappointed when he thinks all his friends cannot go on a sleigh ride.
"He sat in front of his window, feeling very sorry for himself."
Self: I feel disappointed and lonely when I have no one to play with.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows three text-to-self connections you have made with Poppleton in Winter.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify parts of Poppleton in Winter that you connect with. Put the name of the story in the "CHAPTER TITLE" box.
- Parts from the Poppleton in Winter go on the left side. The connections you make go on the right side.
- Create an image for each connection using scenes, characters, items, and text boxes.
- Write a description of how the text relates to you.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text Connections | Student made and labeled all three text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled two text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled one text connection correctly. |
| Examples of Connections | All examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections do not support understanding of text or are difficult to understand. |
| Illustration of Examples | Ideas are well organized. Images clearly show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand. |
How Tos about Poppleton in Winter Text Connections
Create a classroom anchor chart for text connections
Making a visual anchor chart helps students remember the types of text connections: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. Displaying examples and keywords makes it easier for students to identify and discuss their connections during reading activities.
Model making each type of text connection aloud
Think aloud as you read a passage, sharing your own personal connection (text-to-self), a link to another book (text-to-text), and a real-world connection (text-to-world). This shows students how to notice and verbalize connections while reading.
Guide students in practicing with sentence starters
Use sentence starters like "This reminds me of...", "I read something similar in...", or "This happens in our world when...". These prompts help students structure their thinking and share connections confidently.
Encourage partner or small group sharing
Have students pair up or form small groups to discuss their text connections. Collaborative sharing builds confidence and exposes students to new ways of thinking about what they read.
Incorporate connections into reading journals
Ask students to jot down their connections in reading journals after each session. This ongoing practice helps them internalize the habit and track their growth as readers.
Frequently Asked Questions about Poppleton in Winter Text Connections
What are text-to-self connections in 'Poppleton in Winter'?
Text-to-self connections are personal links students make between events or feelings in 'Poppleton in Winter' and their own lives. For example, remembering your own experiences with icicles or feeling lonely, just like Poppleton does in the stories.
How can I help students make text connections with 'Poppleton in Winter'?
Encourage students to relate parts of the story to their own experiences, other books they've read, or events in the real world. Using a storyboard activity helps them visualize and organize these connections effectively.
What is a storyboard activity for 'Poppleton in Winter'?
A storyboard activity asks students to identify moments in 'Poppleton in Winter,' connect them to their own lives, and illustrate each connection with images and descriptions. This deepens comprehension and engagement.
Why are text connections important in K-3 reading lessons?
Text connections help young readers better understand stories by relating them to personal experiences, other literature, or real-world events. This boosts comprehension and makes reading more meaningful.
What are some examples of text-to-self connections from 'Poppleton in Winter'?
Examples include remembering icicles at home after reading about Poppleton's, recalling a time you painted a room like Poppleton painted stars, or relating to Poppleton's feelings of loneliness during the sleigh ride story.
More Storyboard That Activities
Poppleton in Winter
Testimonials
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher
© 2025 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved.
StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
