This past week I have been watching a few of David Attenborough’s docu-series like A Perfect Planet. It has been profound and young people like Greta Thunberg truly inspire us to raise awareness and do our part. Earth Day is coming up and my favourite story to read at this time is Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer. Explain how a polar bear travels by swimming from one ice floe to another in search of food and shelter. Talk about how the earth is getting hot, the ice is melting and the polar bear is dying. Show a picture of a polar bear stranded on a melting ice floe. Children will feel the emotion felt by the polar bear cub; scared when the ice melts. An that will open up the discussion for climate change. Also, try these fun extended activities…
Melt marshmallows in hot chocolate.
Sing the hilarious polar bear song:
Polar, polar, polar bear
Do you wear long underwear?
Way up North, in the land of ice
Where the weather isn’t nice.
Polar, polar, polar bear
Do you wear long underwear!
After the song I always asked the children, “Do you think polar bears wear underwear?”
They would burst into laughter saying, “No” and I would question, “Why not?”
Create a sensorial-science play time at the water table with arctic animals and frozen ice.
Or try ice fishing on a snow packed day.
Try fingerpainting with shaving cream on polar bear cut-out or other related art ideas.
Brainstorm ideas of reducing heat in the world.
Example; walk or bike to school, turn off light, take short showers, turn off computer when not using it, keep low house temperatures, read and play outside rather than watching TV, etc.)