Bears of Alaska
Across the Curriculum:
Literature, Math, Geography,
Writing & Music
Essential Element III: Physical Systems
Geography Standard # 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface
Grade Level: Primary
Materials:
Objectives:
Procedure:
Anticipatory Set: Twenty Questions Game with Math connection (15 minutes)
*Place a toy polar bear in a brown paper bag. Draw a large circle on an overhead transparency. Divide the circle into quarters. Ask the students to guess what real object is represented by the small model in the bag. Record a tally mark in the first quarter of the circle after each answer of "Yes" or "No" . After five questions, ask the class how many tally marks have been recorded (5)? How many questions are left (15)? Color in 1/4 of the circle. Ask: How many sections are colored? How many sections in the whole circle? What fraction of Twenty Questions have I asked (1/4)? How many sections are not filled in (3)? What fraction has not been colored (3/4)? Continue recording tally marks with the remaining questions. Ask what fraction has been filled in and what fraction remains after 10, 15 and 20 questions.
Pass the polar bear around for a close up view.
Sharing the trade book: Share the illustrations with the children as you read Alaska's Three Bears, which has "bear facts" throughout the books. (20 minutes)
Language Activity: Ask the children to provide information they know or
learned from the book.
(20 minutes)
boar- for the father or male
sow-for the mother or female
cub-for the baby
Polar bears are mainly carnivores- lemmings, arctic foxes, seals, dead whales, dead walruses, grasses- can eat 150 pounds of food each day
Brown bears are omnivores- insects, roots, mammals, berries, eggs, salmon- can eat 80 pounds of food in a day
Black bears are omnivores- grass, roots, leaves, bugs, honey, fruit, berries, fish, birds’ eggs, occasionally dead animals
camouflaged on snow and ice
solar heated -hair is translucent and hollow, skin is black
spend much of their time on sea ice
excellent sense of smell
swims in frigid water - front toes are webbed
curved claws designed to grip ice and grab seals
cub born while sow hibernates
claws are long and curved for fishing or digging roots
hibernates
excellent sense of smell
sharply curved claws are ideal for tree climbing
leathery soles give traction on tree bark
hibernates
polar bears -live year round in the Arctic and sub-Arctic
brown bears (grizzlies) - southern coastal areas of Alaska - mark territory by " blazing" trees
black bears-forested areas of North America -mark territory by " blazing" trees
Polar bears are the largest of the three, brown bears are medium size and black bears are the smallest
Venn Diagram: ( 15 miuntes) Note before class print the names Polar Bear, Brown Bear, and Black Bear on 3x5" index cards. Record the information (similar to the above list) the children provide about the three bears on separate cards. Have the children sit on the floor in a big circle. In the center of the floor overlap the three hula hoops. Place one bear name in each hula hoop. Give each student a card or two. Children take turns reading the card and placing it in the correct section of the overlapping hoops.Traits common to all three bears should be placed in the center section where all three hoops overlap. (Example: boar, sow, cub) Those unique to one bear will be placed near that bear’s name (Example: translucent hair).
Mapping Activity: (15- 20 minutes) While reading Alaska's Three Bears, locate the polar bear's habitat on a large map of North America. Do the same for the brown bear and the black bear. Have the students mark the habitats of the three bears on individual outline maps of North America. Develop a simple key. Label Alaska, Canada, United States, Mexico.
Writing Activity: ( 30 minutes) Encourage children to refer to the chart of names, habitats, food, etc. while writing a story about their favorite bear. Share stories with partners or with small groups of children.
Music Activity: (3-5 minutes)To the tune of "Over in the Meadow" the children can sing
Down by the river near the aspen tree
Lived an old mother bear and her little cubs three.
"Fish," said the mother.
"We fish," said the three.
And they fished all day near the aspen tree.
Have the class compose a verse about a black bear and a polar bear. (15-20 miuntes each)
Doris Kathryn Gott
Teacher Consultant
Illinois Geographic Alliance
dgott@niu.edu