This week we learned all about polar bears! Their skin is black underneath their clear fur. The black skin helps absorb the heat from the sun. Their fur is clear and the sun makes it appear as if they are white. The white appearance helps them to camouflage into their environment; their fur is so well camouflaged that it can sometimes pass as a snow drift. They have a thick layer of blubber to help keep them warm in the ice cold water. For this lesson the kids put their hands in a bowl of ice cold water to see just how cold this can be. One of them said, "this is freezing!" Then they put their hand in a baggy with vegetable shortening to feel the difference.
The polar bear has paws that are wide and covered with fur to help the polar bear from slipping on ice and snow. The thick black pads are covered with bumps to prevent slippage on ice. The sharp claws grip the ice. We made paws with foam and cut in the shape of large circles so they could see just how big they can be!
The polar bear has paws that are wide and covered with fur to help the polar bear from slipping on ice and snow. The thick black pads are covered with bumps to prevent slippage on ice. The sharp claws grip the ice. We made paws with foam and cut in the shape of large circles so they could see just how big they can be!
RSS Feed