Winter presents unique challenges for animals across various regions. Teaching young children about how different species survive these colder months is not only educational but also incredibly engaging. This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for educators and parents planning lessons focusing on Animals In The Winter Lesson Plan topics, particularly suitable for children aged five to eight, with adaptability for different academic levels.
Drawing inspiration from the insightful book Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft & Richard G. Van Gelder, the concepts covered here delve into the fascinating strategies animals employ: migration, hibernation, and adaptation. This exploration aims to build upon children’s existing knowledge and spark further curiosity about the natural world during winter. Engaging activities and informative resources are key to making these Animals In The Winter Lesson Plans for preschool and early elementary engaging.
Promotional image for animals in winter lesson plans
Overview of Animals in Winter
The book Animals in Winter is an excellent addition to any home or classroom library. These types of introductory science books are perfect for getting children excited about learning more about the wonders of science. Children often find themselves returning to this book repeatedly.
Animals in Winter highlights ten animals and their methods for preparing for or surviving during the winter season. Some animals, such as birds, bats, and butterflies, embark on long migrations. Others, like the woodchuck, enter a state of hibernation. The book gently introduces the concepts of migration and hibernation, allowing children to easily build on information they may already know. A reading of the book can often be found online as a helpful resource.
Delving into Winter Animal Survival
The lovely book features ten animals. Incorporating various media, like videos and printable resources, can enhance the 5E Model of instruction (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) when planning your animals in the winter lesson plan. Children’s interests vary each year, so having a variety of resources for different animals allows you to tailor lessons to your class’s specific needs and curiosities. Resources like fact web pages included in supplementary materials can be used as extensions, especially if you have access to computers. For educators seeking diverse winter animal activities for preschoolers, incorporating multimedia can make learning more dynamic.
Woodchuck / Groundhog
The woodchuck is known by several names, including groundhog and whistle pig. As members of the squirrel family, woodchucks are perhaps most famous for the tradition centered around Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. Every February 2nd at Gobblers Knob, he makes a prediction about the arrival of spring, a legend dating back to 1886. More details about Groundhog Day lore are available on the Groundhog Day Club website. Consider using videos to share information about woodchucks with your students.
Short, informative videos, like those from educational science channels for kids, can be entertaining and insightful. These are great for introducing concepts like alliteration through the famous woodchuck tongue twister. Supplementary materials often include fun sheets related to this.
For deeper learning about woodchucks, consider videos that provide more details. If students enjoy memorizing the woodchuck poem or practicing the tongue twister, black and white versions of accompanying worksheets can be great homework assignments, encouraging parent involvement.
Even popular children’s shows offer segments, like a counting video featuring woodchucks, which can be a fun way to integrate math into an animals in the winter lesson plan. For creative activities, videos guiding children on how to draw a cartoon groundhog can be highly engaging. Depending on the children’s drawing abilities, pausing the video might be helpful, while older children can often follow along seamlessly. Resources for alliteration practice, like the free download based on the woodchuck tongue twister, can also enhance language arts skills within the unit.
Worksheet resource for woodchuck alliteration in winter animal lesson
Fox
The fox is a fascinating animal that adapts skillfully to winter conditions. Videos showing a fox diving headfirst into the snow to hunt are short but captivating snippets that kids enjoy. They demonstrate the fox’s amazing instincts and hearing abilities used to locate prey under the snow.
Other videos provide more general information about foxes, suitable for introducing the animal’s basic characteristics and behaviors. Art projects can extend learning; free animal template patterns, including one for a fox, are easy to implement and pair well with the Animals in Winter book study.
Animal template patterns for winter crafts including fox and butterfly
Mice
Mice are another example of animals that adapt to winter weather for survival. Several resources can be helpful when planning lessons about mice. Quick cartoon videos sharing simple facts about mice are suitable for young learners.
Integrating language arts is easy with books like “Seven Blind Mice”. An online reading of this book can be used in the classroom. Activities focusing on ordinal numbers, often available as free worksheets, pair perfectly with this story, providing a fun, hands-on way to learn math concepts.
Ordinal numbers worksheet activity featuring mice for lesson plan
Squirrels
Learning about squirrels and their winter habits is also part of exploring animals in winter. Videos explaining Why Do Squirrels Dig? elaborate on the behaviors mentioned in the Animals in Winter book.
Entertaining videos depicting “A Squirrels Day,” often produced by educational children’s studios, use engaging music and footage to show aspects of a squirrel’s daily life, suitable for general entertainment and observation.
Pika
The Pika (pronounced Pike-Ah) is an adorable animal that may be unfamiliar to some until reading Animals in Winter. This small creature is quite remarkable, especially the fact that it gathers around 50 pounds of grass to survive the winter. Considering that 50 pounds is roughly the weight of a first-grader, this highlights the Pika’s incredible preparation!
Videos of American Pikas calling out are simply cute and engaging for kids. Incorporating technology like videos makes lesson planning easier and more accessible. For older children, videos providing more detailed information about the Pika can be used.
Birds
Many bird species undertake incredible migrations during the winter months. Numerous free videos and resources are available for lesson planning focused on bird migration as part of an animals in the winter lesson plan.
Introductory videos provide general information about birds, offering informative content for kids. Resources aimed at educators can enhance understanding of bird migration, enabling teachers to answer student questions effectively. More advanced videos can be used for differentiation, catering to students with a particular fascination or existing knowledge about birds.
Comparing and contrasting bats and birds can also be a valuable activity, aligning well with an Animals in Winter unit study. Free Venn diagram printables are available for this purpose, usable individually, in partners, small groups, or as a whole class. After watching videos, a free fact web printable for birds can help children collect data and prepare for non-fiction writing activities.
Bird fact web worksheet for data collection in winter animal lesson
Butterflies
The monarch butterfly is a spectacular animal, highlighted in Animals in Winter for its remarkable migration. Quick introductory videos produced by organizations like National Geographic can excite children about learning more about monarchs. Videos detailing the monarch butterfly’s great migration are fascinating for all ages, with stunning visuals and music appealing even to younger children, while older students can appreciate the depth of information.
Videos tailored for kids news breaks can explain complex topics like the monarch’s generational migration in an accessible way. Seeing kids presenting information can also be engaging. For a simple activity, a monarch butterfly coloring page is a great freebie to have on hand, useful for centers or substitute plans.
Monarch butterfly coloring page freebie
Bats
Bat behaviors in winter are diverse: some migrate, some hibernate, and some migrate to hibernate. The world of animal survival is indeed complex. Videos providing general information about bats are useful, especially since many young learners’ exposure might be limited to Halloween imagery.
More condensed videos offering a good overview of bats are also available from sources like National Geographic for kids. For educators or advanced students, videos explaining where and why bats leave for winter provide deeper scientific insight. Craft activities, like creating a bat hat using a free template, are always popular with kids.
Bat hat craft template for kids activity
Deer
Resources about deer provide insight into how these animals survive the winter months through adaptation. Segments from children’s nature shows can offer a unique perspective on life through the eyes of a deer.
Patterning activities are excellent for centers or individual work, and animal pattern worksheets, including deer among other Animals in Winter themes, are often available as free samples. Videos showcasing deer interacting with humans in winter, highlighting their ability to trust and adapt, can be visually interesting for young learners.
Animal patterning activity worksheet featuring deer
Rabbit
The final set of animal resources focuses on rabbits and their winter survival strategies. Videos featuring nature experts can share interesting facts about how rabbits stay warm without coats and hats. Quick, generic videos about rabbits are good for introducing the animal to young children.
Worksheets like a simple “Needs, Can, Have, & Are” chart can be used with any rabbit or bunny unit study and are often available as free resources.
Bonus Resources: Hibernation & Migration
Beyond specific animals, resources focusing on the core concepts of hibernation and migration are invaluable for any animals in the winter lesson plan. Videos explaining how animals prepare for hibernation, often including examples like the groundhog, are informative. Educational videos presented in a cartoon format can introduce additional scientific terms related to hibernation.
Catchy songs about migration can be a fun way for kids to learn the concept. Similarly, songs covering both hibernation and migration make learning memorable through music. Vocabulary cards featuring terms like hibernate, migrate, and adapt are perfect for classroom word walls, morning meeting areas, or learning centers. These are often available as free downloads to complement the unit.
Vocabulary cards for hibernation, migration, adaptation terms
Promotional image for the Animals in Winter book companion resource
Conclusion
Exploring animals in the winter lesson plan topics offers a rich opportunity to teach children about science, nature, and animal survival strategies like migration, hibernation, and adaptation. Utilizing engaging books, videos, and printable activities can create dynamic and memorable learning experiences. These resources provide a solid foundation for understanding how creatures navigate the challenges of the cold season. We hope this guide helps you create impactful lessons for your young learners. Stay warm!
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