HIBERNATION
BOOKS:
Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky
Animals in Winter by H. Bancroft
Sleepy Bear by
Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
Bear Snores On by Karma
OTHER BOOKS ABOUT BEARS:
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
by Nancy White Carlstrom
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
by Bill Martin Jr.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
by Bill Martin Jr.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury
Bear Wants More by Karma
POEMS AND SONGS:
Inside is a bear. (Put thumb inside fingers.)
To get some fresh air.(Pop out thumb.)
In sunshine and heat.
He hunts in the forest
For berries to eat. (Move thumb in a circle.)
He hurries inside
His warm little cave
And there he will hide.(Put thumb inside fingers.)
Like a fluffy white rug.
Inside the bear sleeps
All cozy and snug. (Place one hand over the other.)
"Hibernation Song"
("Are You Sleeping" tune)
Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping.
In the cave, in the cave.
I know when he'll come out, I know when he'll come out.
In the spring, in the spring.
MATH:
SCIENCE:
1. Bear Hibernation Experiment- Ask students why
do they think bears wake up in Spring. Cut out
newspaper bear and fold in half and then in half
again. Place bear in pan of warm water. Bear will
unfold due to warmth of water. Explain the
weather gets warmer in Spring, causing the bear
to wake.
2. Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting
bears and people.
ART:
1. Bear in a Tissue Box Cave- Children paint tissue box brown. Glue on sticks to make it look like a cave. Children color and cut out bear pattern. Children put bear in box to “hibernate”.
2. Bear in Paper Plate Cave- Cut paper plate in half. Children color plate brown. Attach bear pattern.
3. Paper Plate Bear Head- Add paper ears, eyes, pop pom nose, and mouth
4. Cinnamon Bears- Mix sugar and cinnamon. Have children cut out bear pattern, place glue on pattern and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar mixture. Add wiggly eyes.
MUSIC:
1. “Hibernation” (“Aloutte” tune)
Hibernation. Time to go to sleep.
Hibernation. Time to go to sleep.
In the winter, where’s the bear?
Sleeping in its log or lair.
Where’s the bear? Log or lair.
Where’s the bear? Log or lair.
Oh!
In the winter, where’s the frog?
Sleeping by a pond or log.
Where’s the frog? Pond or log.
Where’s the frog? Pond or log.
Oh!
In the winter, where's the snake?
In the mud beneath the lake.
Where's the snake? Mud beneath the lake.
Where's the snake? Mud beneath the lake.
Oh!
In the winter, where's the bat?
In a cave is where it's at.
Where's the bat? In a cave is where it's at.
Oh!
2. “Bears Are Sleeping”
(tune: “Brother John”)
Bears are sleeping,
Bears are sleeping,
In their lairs.
In their lairs.
Soon it will be springtime,
Soon it will be spring time,
Wake up, bears!
Wake up, bears!
3. "Teddybear, Teddybear"
Teddybear, Teddybear, turn around.
Teddybear, Teddybear, touch the ground.
Teddybear, Teddybear, tie your shoe.
Teddybear, Teddybear, climb the stairs.
Teddybear, Teddybear, say your prayers.
Teddybear, Teddybear, shut the light.
Teddybear, Teddybear, say good-night.
TEDDY BEAR DAY
At the end of the week, I have "Teddy Bear Day". The children dress in pj's and slippers and bring in teddybears. We do many activities involving the bears such as having them sit with us in Circle Time while we read a book about bears, measuring them with unifex cubes, graphing them according to color, classifying them according to size, creating our own "Bear Books" in which we name a bear and its favorite food and game. I create a cave for the children and their bears using a table and blanket. We eat teddygrahams and milk for snack.
