Polar Bears

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Barbara J. Feldman

Polar bears were in the news recently because a proposal to list them as threatened is being evaluated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Polar bears live throughout the Arctic and hunt seals from floating sea-ice. As climate changes cause receding sea-ice, polar bear populations are affected. Learn more at today's polar bear picks.

Gander's Academy: Polar Bears for Primary Grades

4 stars

"Polar bears live in the Arctic. The Arctic is located around the North Pole at the top of the earth. Much of the Arctic is ocean and is covered by ice most of the year." Jim Cornish, a grade school teacher from Newfoundland, Canada, introduces lower- elementary students to polar bears with a nine-page mini-textbook. Best clicks are the fourteen printable polar bear activity sheets. In addition to fill-in-the-blank worksheets, activities include a word search, polar bear math problems and a graphing activity.

Hinterland's Who's Who: Polar Bear

4 stars

"The polar bear is the largest land meat-eater it can weigh up to 800 kg, about as much as a small car." This single-page fact sheet from Hinterland's Who's Who and the Canadian Wildlife Federation is a good place to start a school report, as it has all the basic information: Description, Habitat and Habits, Range, Feeding, Breeding and Conservation. But the best reasons to visit are video clips. I particularly recommend the sixty-second Youth clip, and the one labeled PSA.

National Geographic: Bear Beginnings

5 stars

"In spring, polar bear mothers in Manitoba's Wapusk National Park emerge from dens with cubs three months old and ready to face the world." This National Geographic photo feature is an excerpt from a larger print article, with the addition of two multimedia specials. Best click is the six-and-a-half minute Bear Beginnings slide show narrated by photographer Norbert Rosing as he describes the day he discovered a mama polar bear with triplets.

NOAA: Polar Bears in Recent Decades

4 stars

Polar bears are dependent on floating sea-ice for "foraging, resting, and reproduction," and so their fate is tied to the climate. Unfortunately scientists have tracked a twenty-five year decline in the thickness and amount of sea-ice in the Arctic. Learn more with this essay from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although the article is for high-school students and adults, everyone will love the links to polar bear photo galleries and a polar bear web cam at the bottom of the article.

Polar Bears International: Bear Facts

5 stars

Polar Bears International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to polar bear conservation. Terrific clicks abound, but be sure to explore All About Polar Bears (an introduction), Look at Polar Bears (photo and video galleries), and Polar Bear Science (current research). Most unique click of the day is the printable board game Polar Trek. Race around the board as you live a year as a polar bear. You'll find the game and instructions in Tools for Teachers.