Science lessons for preschool children involve simple processes. Introduce your students to groundhogs by first discussing how certain animals hibernate during the winter, such as bears, skunks and opossums. You can explain how animals need to adapt their habitats during hibernation. Building a home that provides the necessary warmth and protection the animal requires is a project that can last throughout a week. Taking a nature hike to nearby woods will also help the preschool students learn about animal habitats.
Preschoolers are just learning their letters and sounds. Language lessons are essential in assisting children in this process. Reading books to them will create a foundation for them to want to read. Exciting books about groundhogs and Groundhog's Day, such as "Gretchen Groundhog, It's Your Day," by Abby Levine, will make the children want to learn more about the event. Have the children write letters to a groundhog, through pictures, after reading a story about Groundhog's Day.
History lessons about Groundhog's Day can be part of the language curriculum. Learning about how the people of Pennsylvania came to make Groundhog's Day a popular tradition in Punxsutawney and why the superstition became connected to the length of winter is a fun way for the children to learn about American folklore.
Art in preschool is essential. Children learn how to write by scribbling as they develop their fine motor skills. Have the students draw pictures of Punxsutawney Phil. Teach the children how to create a puppet show depicting how the groundhog might see its shadow when it comes out of its hole. Take the children outside and teach them how to trace each other's shadows. Measuring the shadows throughout the day can also be incorporated as a science lesson.