Introduction
Brr! It's Winter time in Alberta. We bundle up in our coats, toques, and mittens.
Some animals live in parts of the world where it is always winter. Polar bears are found in the polar ice pack near the North Pole... But polar bears don't have toques and mittens. How do polar bears survive the cold?
Task
Today we will be learning about the adaptations of a polar bear. Adaptations are structures or functions of an organism which help it survive in its environment.
You will work together in pairs to research polar bears using the links provided in this webquest. Then, you will create a poster to describe and illustrate a minimum of 4 adaptations of the polar bear.
So let's bundle up and explore the North Pole to discover and learn about the polar bear!
Process
The first step is to research the polar bear. Today we want to focus specifically on a polar bear's adaptations.
1) Here are a couple of youtube videos to watch how a polar bear survives in its icy habitat:
- Polar bear adaptations documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx2lWo-_fO8
-
Polar bear scientists Alysa McCall explains polar bear adaptations to a younger audience in this light-hearted, rapid-fire short video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckEoKFuNqMs
2) Here are some websites which you can explore to read about polar bears and their adaptations:
- http://animalstime.com/adaptations-of-polar-bear/
- http://www.buzzle.com/articles/polar-bear-adaptations.html
- http://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/polar-bears/adaptations/
- Feel free to do a google search if you are still curious
3) Discuss your research with your partner and decide on the 4 adaptations you would like to include on your poster.
4) Create your poster. Your poster should include at least 4 adaptations.
The posters will be graded according to the criteria on the "Evaluation" page
Evaluation
Criteria for the Polar Bear Adaptation Poster:
/1 Poster has a title
/4 Poster includes description of at least 4 adaptations
/4 Poster includes at least 4 illustrations
/1 Cooperation with group member
/10 Total
Conclusion
Congratulations! You successfully observed the polar bear to discover some of its adaptations!
Share your poster with another group and see if you can learn even more!
Credits
YouTube
- Hollie Llett documentary
- Alysa McCall - www.polarbearsinternational.org
Other web resources
- animalstime.come
- buzzle.com
- seaworld.org