Science Projects on Hibernation
Bears and other animals hibernate during the winter as a means of survival. For your winter classroom science curriculum, teach students about hibernation basics, such as why only certain animals hibernate and what happens to an animal's anatomy during the hibernation process. Come up with engaging hibernation science projects for students to participate in to spark their interest in hibernation.
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Animal Insulation Experiment
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In this project, students will learn about animal insulation and how stored fat keeps them warm in freezing temperatures while they hibernate. You will need two plastic bags, Vaseline, bowl of ice water and a rubber band. Have the student put his hands inside of a plastic bag. Assist in the project by covering the outside of the bag with Vaseline, making the layer thick. Then, take the second plastic bag and put that over the other one. Use the rubber band to tie around the student's wrist to keep the bags in place (not too tight). The student will dip his hand into the bowl of ice water and keep it there as long as he can. The lesson is that animal fat serves as insulation that protects animals from freezing in extremely cold temperatures.
The Warmest Position
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Take the class outside to the playground when temperatures are reasonable, and have students come up with positions they feel keep them the warmest. Some positions may include rolling up into a ball or burying their heads in their chests and arms. Bring students back into the classroom and have a discussion about which positions kept them the warmest. Relate this lesson to the ways that animals hibernate, such as curling up into balls and hibernating in groups to keep each other warm with body heat.
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Energy Conservation
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Teach students about how important it is for animals to conserve their energy while hibernating, because spent energy creates fierce appetites, and there may not be any food to eat during the winter. Conduct a class experiment by having students sit in their chairs and take notice of how hungry they feel. Then, have everyone go outside to run around and play. Bring the group back into the classroom and ask students if they feel hungrier now. Pass out a snack, but reiterate the lesson by asking students to explain to you how come animals have to save their energy in the winter.
Frozen Food
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Educate your class about how challenging it can be for animals to find food during the winter. Prepare a classroom experiment by filling an ice cube tray with water and placing one pineapple chunk into each ice cube. Let the cubes freeze. When you take them out, give each student an ice cube and ask them if they can smell the pineapple. Next, ask students to eat the pineapple. They will have to get through all the ice first, or wait for the ice to melt. Again, this lesson relates back to how food is scarce in the winter, which is partly why animals hibernate.
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References
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