Teaching overview
Learning points
- Hibernation is a long sleep many animals take through winter because food is scarce.
- Both warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals hibernate.
- Some animals' heart and breathing rates slow down when they hibernate.
Curriculum keywords
- Animals
- Adaptation
- Habitat
5 things you didn't know...
Hibernation
1. Hibernation is the long sleep that many animals take through winter because food is scarce.
Extra fat
2. Many animals prepare for hibernation by eating lots during the summer and fall in order to gain weight. The extra fat keeps them alive during the winter.
Heart rate
3. During hibernation, the heart rate of many animals slows to less than 10 beats per minute. Their breathing also slows down.
Mammals
4. Most animals that hibernate are mammals including bears, chipmunks, bats, squirrels and hedgehogs.
Cold-blooded animals
5. Some cold-blooded animals, such as frogs and toads, hibernate.
Spark a discussion
- Why do animals hibernate?
- Why do you think some animals' heart and breathing rates slow down when they hibernate?
- Could you go into hibernation? Why or why not?
Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS
Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia
- Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
- Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
- Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning