During the cold winter months, my students frequently ask, “Ms. Virgin, are we going outside today?” This week they had heavy hearts when the answer was no. Next came, “If the animals can be outside, how come we can’t?”
This was the start of a beautiful learning moment….
We stayed inside and watched a super interesting movie on animals in the Arctic. We had been studying Jan Brett books, and the students were really interested in learning about the cold environment. Then we talked about animals in the arctic and how they adapt. This led to a discussion about how not all animals adapt; some migrate and others hibernate. We then learned that animals have thick fur, oily coats, and blubber- we humans don’t, and this is why they get to be out in the cold!
As a fun activity, students used rulers to measure the height and length of animals that live in the arctic. Next week we will learn about blubber and see for ourselves how it keeps animals warm. Don’t let the weather get you down!
Kelcie Virgin, Meroby Elementary School, 2nd Grade Teacher
