Learning with Pinterest-Groundhog Day

Since Groundhog day was this week, we decided to learn all about groundhogs in science and make a few fun crafts for art.

Interesting facts we learned about groundhogs:

1. We learned that groundhogs are related to squirrels.

2. The people who love groundhogs are called marmotophiles and scientists who study groundhogs are called marmotologists.

3. Groundhogs seal themselves into sleeping chambers inside their burrows using mud so they can hibernate in safety.

4. They can swim and climb trees.

5. Some people call groundhogs whistle pigs, because they whistle when they are in danger or scared.

I  found a lot of cute books at the library that were both informational and fun to read, which is always a plus:)

Groundhog Gets A Say by Pamela Curtis Swallow:  The groundhog in this book decides that he deserves a whole month dedicated to him and not just one measly day! So he enlists a reporter to write all about what makes him so special, in hopes of getting February turned into Groundhog Appreciation Month.

Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller:  In this story, a groundhog gets sick right before Groundhog Day and searches for a last minute replacement.  However, each animal that applies is missing a crucial skill to do the job right.

Double Trouble Groundhog Day by Bethany Roberts:  Grandpa Groundhog is retiring from his forecasting business and his twin grandchildren start fighting over who deserves to replace him.  They realize that the job is harder than it seems and that they might need some teamwork to get the job done right.

Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby:  This is a cute story about a groundhog that is searching for signs of spring and happens upon a hungry fox.  The groundhog outsmarts the fox into waiting to eat her by asking him to help her find the signs of spring.

After we read all of the stories, I had Ben pick out two facts to write about in his journal and then he drew a picture of a groundhog.

 

Then, Ben decided his groundhog was too boring and drew another picture with a lot more pizzazz.

Here are some of the questions that I asked Ben, to make sure he retained some of the many facts that we learned about groundhogs this week:

1. What do groundhogs eat?

2. What happens if the groundhog sees his shadow?

3. How does a groundhog keep rain from flooding his sleeping chamber?

4. Name two animals that are related to groundhogs.

5. Is a groundhog a mammal or a reptile?

We found this cute craft on Pinterest and then we made our own groundhog silhouette, complete with his forecast for spring’s arrival.

Finally, we decided to make some edible groundhogs to celebrate Groundhog Day and found this adorable/delicious idea on Pinterest.

 

Happy Groundhog Day!