SNAKE AWAKE
Activity:
Take a walk and look for signs of spring. It might be plants budding, birds returning, or insects hatching. See if you can find 10 signs of spring. Discuss with your child why they think these changes might be happening. Another discussion topic might be what you and your child do to prepare for spring in your own lives.
Vocabulary:
Hibernation- when an animal survives cold temperatures and low food supplies by lowering its body
temperature and heart rate
Hibernaculum- a hole or den where snakes gather to spend the winter
Key Concepts: Some animals survive the winter by hibernating. Not all animals can hibernate, only ones with the right adaptations can do so.
GRAZERS OF THE FIELD
Acitivity:Pick a park near your house. Visit the park and look for animals. Choose one animal that you think is capable of living somewhere else. Discuss with your child why it might live here. Do you think it lives here year round or only part of the year? When you return home have your child draw a picture of what it thinks that animal's shelter (home) might look like. For older children, challenge them to explain exactly why different aspects of the shelter might be important.
Vocabulary:
Migratory: An animal that does not live in the same location for its entire life and instead travels to a new location on a regular basis. Most migrations occur twice yearly (once each direction).
Species: a classification of animals that all share certain key traits. Animals that are within the same species are capable of producing young that be able to grow up and produce their own young.
Key Concepts: All animals share the need for four basic resources: food, water, shelter, and space. Different animals need different types of these resources. In winter, shelter is especially important to keep animals from becoming too cold.
