Format
1. This program begins by introducing bear species and their characteristics.
2. Explore and contrast hibernation and torpor.
3. Meet 2 Ambassador Animals connected to the topics.
4. Discover ways we can help bears in nature.
5. Wrap-up.
Objectives
• Students will be able to explain the characteristics that make a bear a bear.
• Students will be able to compare, and contrast, torpor to hibernation.
• Students will be able to provide examples, beyond bear species, that deal with the cold by sleeping.
• Students will be able to explain how they and their families can have a direct positive impact for bear conservation.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
3-LS4-3 (LS4.C)
• For any environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4 (LS4.D)
• Populations live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats affects the organisms living there.
4-LS1-1 (LS1.A)
• Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.
4-LS1-2 (LS1.D)
• Different sense receptors are specialized for particular kinds of information, which may be then processed by the animal’s brain. Animals are able to use their perceptions and memories to guide their actions.