Fifth Grade
Worksheets
The Legacy of the Snowman
Building snowmen has been a wintertime activity since the Middle Ages. A snowman is simply a snow sculpture of a human. Its shape has changed little through the years. The modern-day snowman is usually a plump, jolly fellow such as the one described in "Frosty the Snowman."
A certain protocol is often used in the building of snowmen. First, an ample amount of snow is needed. Sometimes, the snow is too dry and powdery to pack. Packing snow is formed when the snow is close to its melting point. Snowman building begins with a snowball. The snowball is rolled in the packing snow. As it is rolled, snow sticks to the snowball and it increases in size until it becomes quite large. If the snow is too dry, it will not stick.
Most snowmen in Europe and North America are built with three spheres. The spheres are often three different sizes. The largest is for the lower body. A middle-sized one makes up the chest, and the smallest is used for the head. Lumps of coal were traditionally used for the eyes, but coal is difficult to find nowadays. Anything similar, such as rocks or large buttons, can be used. The nose is often made using a carrot or cherry, and the mouth can be made of a variety of materials. The only limit is your imagination when it comes to creating a snowman.
