Hibernate, Insulate, Migrate
by Ms. Blanco’s class TTO Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
If you live in the arctic, it’s really great
To be a polar bear and hibernate
She goes to sleep when winter’s near
Then wakes up when spring is here
Through the summer, she has to eat
Lots and lots and lots of meat!
In Antarctica, it’s hard to keep warm
Out on the ice in a winter storm
Emperor penguins huddle together
To insulate in the winter weather
Fat and feathers insulate
In the winter, they’re really great!
Arctic terns fly really far
From pole to pole where the summers are
Every time the seasons change
They fly with a 12,000 mile range
Arctic terns must love the summer
They migrate to where the weather’s warmer!
Polar animals who don’t want to freeze
Use three adaptive strategies:
Sleep through the winter with hibernation,
migrate away, or use insulation
This is what Charles Darwin meant
When he said, animals adapt to their environment!
Notes
How do animals survive in the arctic and antarctic? We wanted to explain the three main adaptations animals use:
Hibernate: eat a lot when food is available, then go into a very deep sleep through the wintertime.
Insulate: surround your body with, fat, feathers, or fur (or even a bunch of friends!) to help your body keep warm in the cold weather.
Migrate: if you really don't love winter, just go where the weather is warmer when winter comes!
Here are some academic standards from the NGSS addressed in this song:
Kindergarten
K-LS1-1. Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
-Patterns in the natural and human designed world can be observed and used as evidence.
1st Grade
1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. (Compare how animals survive the cold to human strategies.)
2nd Grade
2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. (Looking at other polar animals, which adaptations do they use?)