Bear Unit

KWL chart

I like to teach using thematic units. Each unit will last about 2 weeks and at the end of the unit I like to have the class participate in some sort of science experiment or STEM challenge.  Last year was first year doing a Bear Unit and I loved it so much I decided to do it again this year!

comparing bears

We start off the unit by creating a class KWL chart (know, want, learn) students raise their hand to tell me what they know about bears or what they want to know and I write it down on a post-it with their name, the student then gets to place their post-it on the KWL chart.  At the end of the unit we do the same thing to fill in the Learn section of the chart which will show everything we learned during the Bear Unit.

   

bear circle map

Through out the Bear Unit we learn all about various types of bears: black bears, polar bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, etc.

our bear cave

We learn that most bears hibernate during the winter.  Students chose to make their own type of bear to add to our classroom bear cave.  We make sure to make all the bears eyes closed because they are hibernating during winter of course.  On the first day of spring the students get to wake up their bear (take it off the wall) and take it home.

    

blubber experiment 

We learn all about how bears eat a lot to get fat and use their blubber to stay warm while hibernating so we also do a little blubber experiment.  The kids place their hand in ice water and let me know how it feels.  Then i cover their other hand with a glove that has been covered in crisco (blubber) and wrapped with plastic wrap.  They then stick the blubber hand in the water and are so amazed that their hand is warm!  It really helps them to understand about blubber and hibernation.

Teddy Bear Exploration 

Lastly we finish off our Bear Unit by having a Teddy Bear Exploration.  Students bring their own teddy bear to school and we fill out our Teddy Bear Exploration handout. Students get to measure their bear, draw their bear, compare their bear to a friend's bear. It's so much fun and after all their hard work we watch 20 minutes of the Disney Nature movie Bears and eat some gold fish because bears love fish!