Rolling on the Tundra

As students begin the study of polar bear and related activities, an assessment of current knowledge is important. It is also important to have students determine what they need or want to know, and then research that information. Depending on the curricular goals, basic background information regarding the polar bears may be provided for the students.

The Polar Bears International website is an excellent resource for polar bear information. The "All About Polar Bears" section of the PBI website contains relevant material for both educators and students.

In addition, the "Lessons for Your Classroom" section contains detailed lesson plans and presentations for an interdisciplinary unit of study titled "Polar Bears and Ecotourism." This unit is created for elementary school and middle school students, but much of the information could be adapted for upper school students as well. This unit of study was created by educators with the Maryland State Department of Education.

Photo copyright and provided by © Daniel Zatz, wildlifeHD.com

1. NAMES - The scientific name for polar bears is "ursus maritimus." Other names include nanook, nanuk, white bear, sea bear, and snow bear.
2. RANGE - Polar bears live in Arctic areas. The five nations where polar bears can be found are: the U.S. (Alaska), Russia, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, and Canada.
3. SIZE AND AGE - Male polar bears weigh from 775 pounds to 1,500 pounds and are 8 to 10 feet tall. Females weigh between 330 pounds and 550 pounds and are 6 to 8 feet tall - a lot smaller! The average lifespan for a polar bear is 15 to 18 years.
4. BABIES - Polar bears usually have two babies or "cubs," but they may have up to three. The mother bear digs a den (usually in snow) in which she gives birth. Newborn cubs are 12 to 14 inches long and weigh around a pound.
5. MAMMALS - Polar bears are mammals, and thus they drink their mother's milk when they are young and continue to do so until sometime between their second and third birthdays.
6. STATUS - Polar bears are considered to be a "threatened" species. There are approximately 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears worldwide, and about sixty percent of those live in Canada.
7. FOOD - Polar bears primarily eat ringed seals and are the world's largest land predators. They lie in wait for seals near the breathing holes where the seals surface for air. In addition, polar bears have been known to eat the bearded seal, arctic foxes, ravens, walrus, beluga whales, reindeer, and younger bears. They also snack on birds, bird eggs, kelp, and beached whales.
8. HIBERNATION - Polar bears do not truly hibernate as brown bears do. However, the pregnant female polar bear do "den" during which time they give birth then remain in the den with the cubs for three or four months to provide them with shelter.
9. WARMTH - Polar bears have a very thick layer of blubber which provides them with warmth and protection from the extreme, cold temperatures of the Arctic. Polar bears have two layers of fur which also provide them with insulation.
10. CLEANLINESS AND SLEEP - Polar bears constantly bathe and groom themselves to assure they are clean. Polar bears sleep seven to eight hours at at a time, and they like to take naps (which help them conserve energy).