The following resources are helpful in teaching about hibernation. The SOL's specific to this topic are 1.7, 2.5, 2.7 and 3.4. In first grade, students need to understand the concepts of migration, hibernation, and habitat, but they do not necessarily need to know the terms. In second grade, students learn how animals respond to changes in the seasons and by third grade they will be able to describe and explain hibernation.
Books
Hibernation (Patterns in Nature series)
Margaret Hall
This book offers great close-up shots of animals in their dens and explains the hibernation cycle, along with resources for further reading and online research with Fact Hound, Capstones own cartoon icon for active learning.
What Is Hibernation? (Science of Living Things)
John Crossingham
This book offers full-color photographs and vivid text that combine to give readers a view of the many different ways that animals hibernate.
The Magic School Bus Sleeps for the Winter (Scholastic Reader, Level 2)
Eva Moore
This book in the popular Magic School Bus series takes readers on a ride to learn all about how different kinds of animals survive through the winter.
Animals Hibernating How Animals Survive Extreme Conditions
Pamela Hickman
Readers will find out which animals hibernate and why, the difference between true hibernators and deep sleepers, where animals hibernate, what happens while they hibernate, and much more. This book is packed with illustrations, facts, activities and easy-to-do experiments.
Why Do Bears Sleep All Winter?: A Book about Hibernation
Jane Duden and Bernd Heinrich
In this “First Facts, Why in the world?” nonfiction book designed for readers in kindergarten through third grade, each chapter is a question that is answered in several paragraphs along with accompanying photographs. The photographs are interesting and entertaining for young readers. A short glossary is included, followed by a list of related books, Internet sites, and an index. Words printed in bold type in the text are listed with meanings in the glossary.
Teacher / Parent Resources
- Brainpopjr is a subscription website, but offers a 30 day free trial. This page provides background information about hibernation and fun activities and lesson ideas.
- This is a fun worksheet to use at the end of a unit on hibernation. It is probably best for first grade.
- This worksheet is suitable for second or third graders and can be used as a review of the hibernation unit or as a quiz.
- This website is a great resource for second and third grade units on hibernation and includes interactive SmartBoard activities.
- This is a word search worksheet that identifies 16 different animals that hibernate. It is appropriate for second and third grade.
Student Resources
- This is an interactive ThinkQuest for students to use as a resource to extend their study of hibernation. It has interesting facts, games and links for more information about hibernation.
- This is an online game where the student matches the animal to either the word "hibernate" or "migrate". This is suitable for 3rd graders.
- This is an interactive online game where you have to find all the animal pairs to uncover the photo of animals that hibernate! When you find a match, a part of the photo gets revealed. Hibernating animal cards include the following pictures: squirrel, bat, badger, frog, butterfly, ladybug, bear, racoon, turtle and skunk. Each time you play, the cards get shuffled around.
- This website provides the reader with information about what hibernation is and includes a word mix-up at the end as an assessment of the material read. This would be suitable for second or third grade.
- This link provides a video about hibernation.