“Arctic Animals” is an excellent resource to get young minds acquainted with the adaptations of Arctic animals. It is also a treasure trove of inspiration for novice Science teachers.
Through this book, children will learn:
- polar bears, Arctic hares and caribou have thick fur to help them keep warm. Just that the phrase used here is “thick/heavy fur coat” whereas the term often used in marking schemes is “thick layer of fur”
- Polar bears have a layer of fat called blubber
- Arctic hares have shorter ears than other rabbits.
- Arctic hares and foxes have white fur to help them blend in with the snow. “Hide in the snow” is also used here, but I doubt it will be accepted by examiners. Incidentally, the Arctic fox has the warmest fur of any animal in the world.
- Arctic ground squirrels hibernate in winter.
Reading this book was breeding ground for inspiration. Should I need to set papers next year, I might ask:
- How does the oily fur of polar bears help them survive in the Arctic? (And: easily shake off ice and water to stay dry, reduces chances of water evaporating from their bodies and thus, reducing the cooling effect)
- How does the large, fur-covered hooves that act like snowshoes help caribou walk on ice and snow?
- Why do Siberian huskies curl into a tight ball to sleep and even cover their nose with their tail? To keep themselves warm.
Need to get back to my boy. He is interested to know the prey of the snowy owl. What animals does the snowy owl hunt during winter?