Teach your students fun facts about Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil is the name given to the groundhog that supposedly predicts every year when spring will arrive. If the animal sees his own shadow, legend says there will be six more weeks of winter. Including Groundhog Day 2011, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 98 times, and not seen it 16 times, according to the Huffington Post.
Teach your fifth-graders the history of Groundhog Day, which is on the same day every year, Feb. 2. It takes place in Punxsutawney, Pa., which is where the famous groundhog gets his name. The exact location is Gobbler's Knob. Punxsutawney Phil is pulled out of his burrow and is said to whisper his findings to his human companions. The results are then announced.
Give your fifth-graders activities to do that will help them appreciate Groundhog Day. Allow them to watch the televised announcement of the results. Ask students to write their own stories on why they think the groundhog is afraid of his shadow. Have the class monitor the accuracy of the groundhog's prediction. Record the daily temperature on a classroom calendar and have the students interpret the findings after the six weeks are over.
Ask your students to research other variations of Groundhog Day. Historically, other cultures, such as the Europeans, have celebrated the day in various forms. Have students research and interpret where the modern day celebration originated and how it became an annual tradition in the U.S. Also ask students to research the significance of using the groundhog as the predictor.