6th Grade · Science · Activity · shared by Luke Morgan
This 6th Grade Science activity explores animal survival in winter, focusing on hibernation and metabolic changes like a bear's heart rate.
Topic Snapshot: Surviving the Frozen Season
When winter comes to the cold woods, animals face a time of very little food. Since green plants stop growing and small bugs go away, animals must find ways to save their power. One way they stay alive is through hibernation . This is a state where an animal goes into a deep sleep for a long time. During these months, they use metabolic depression . This means the body slows down its work to save energy. For a black bear, its heart rate will fall from 40 or 50 beats per minute down to only 8 or 10 beats per minute. This help lets the bear live for months without eating any new food.
While small animals like woodchucks have their body heat drop a lot, black bears stay warm. They keep a body heat between 88 and 93 degrees. This special adaptation helps the bear stay safe under its thick fur and fat. Because the bear stays warm, it can wake up fast if a hunter finds its home. By making these body changes, animals can live through the cold times of year. They can make it through the winter until the warm spring brings more food again.
Instructions: Use the Topic Snapshot above to complete the following 3-2-1 Countdown. Write your responses clearly in the spaces provided.
3 things you learned today about survival mechanisms:
2 interesting facts or connections you made:
1 question you still have:
Reflection Question: How does the specific metabolic change in a bear's heart rate directly help it survive in an environment where there is no food available for months?