Polar bears are known by many different names in the world. Some terms include "sea bear," "ice bear," "white bear" and even "white sea deer." Teach your students about some of the different names with a simple coloring project. Label sheets of construction paper with a different polar bear name and pass out a sheet to each child. Ask each student to draw a polar bear on the paper using crayons, pencils or markers. Set up a slideshow of polar bear pictures or printouts at the front of the classroom to spark creativity. When the children are finished, put all the pictures up on a bulletin board and describe how the names and pictures may look different, but they all refer to the same animal.
The favorite food of a polar bear is the ringed and bearded seal, but they will eat bird eggs, fish, berries, kelp and other animals, such as rodents or reindeer. Teach students about the eating habits of polar bears by bringing in themed snacks to remind them of what they eat. Goldfish, blueberries, raspberries, slices of boiled eggs on crackers and tuna all represent items that the polar bear eats. Provide a sampling of a few different foods and have children take turns guessing what a polar bear's favorite food is.
A polar bear has thick fur, consisting of a dense, soft undercoat with a coarser overcoat made of hollow, tube-like hairs. This fur keeps them warm in below freezing temperatures. Teach kids about a polar bear's fur by giving them cotton balls, white stirring sticks and construction paper to help them create their own polar bears. Use markers to draw the outline of a bear and glue cotton balls to the outline to represent the undercoat. Glue the stir sticks on top to represent the outercoat.
Polar bears sleep during much of the day and go out hunting at night. They dig shallow holes in the snow and curl up away from the wind to stay warm. Children can learn about a polar bear's habitat before nap time by creating their own "den" to sleep in. Instruct children to create a nest or comfortable spot and place a fan in one corner of the room. Show children how polar bears sleep by placing their backs against the wind.