Virtual Field Trip
Let’s Visit the Ocean!
Let’s Create
Earth’s Amazing Animals!
Koala
Some fun facts about koalas from Nat Geo Kids:
1) Koalas are found in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia.
2) Cuddly critters, koalas measure about 2 feet long, and weigh about 25 pounds.
3) Although you may have heard people call them koala ‘bears’, these awesome animals aren’t bears at all – they are in fact marsupials. A group of mammals, most marsupials have pouches where their newborns develop.
4) When an infant koala – called a joey – is born, it immediately climbs up to its mother’s pouch. Blind and earless, a joey uses its strong sense of touch and smell, as well as natural instinct, to find its way.
5) A joey grows and develops in the pouch for about six months.
6) Koalas sleep up to 18 hours a day. That’s one sleepy marsupial!
7) Koala’s have reduced in numbers by 90% over the last 10 years because of deforestation.
Learn more about koalas from Nat Geo Kids.
Polar Bears
Some fun facts about polar bears from Nat Geo Kids:
1) Polar bears are found in the frozen wilds of the Arctic, in Canada, Alaska (US), Greenland, Russia and Norway.
2) These are seriously big bears, gang. Adult polar bears can measure over 8 feet tall and weigh around 800 pounds. Their huge size and weight make them the largest living carnivores (meat eaters) on Earth!
3) Polar bears are well adapted to survive in one of the harshest environments on our planet. As well as their thick fur, they have a layer of fat, called blubber, that insulates (protects) their bodies from the frosty air and near-freezing water.
4) These magnificent mammals have an incredible sense of smell which they use to track their favourite grub, seals*. In fact, their sense of smell is so good, they can sniff out prey from up to 8 miles away!
5) Despite their size and bulk, polar bears are excellent swimmers, and have been spotted in waters over 40 miles offshore.
6) Although good swimmers, polar bears aren’t quick enough to reliably catch seals in open water. Instead, they depend on the ice as a hunting platform. They wait near seal breathing holes or at the ice’s edge for a seal to surface. They then snatch it from the sea and…gulp! The Earth has been warming which is melting ice and puts polar bears at risk of extinction.
Learn more about polar bears at Nat Geo Kids.
Art Challenge
Earth Party Dance Track
Story Time
In this week’s read aloud Mrs. Thiel tells the story about how our Earth cares for the living things through out the seasons with the book “My Friend Earth”.
Earth Week Snacks
(Click pic for recipe)
