Activity

Bear size

Summary
Students measure a life sized template of a black bear, and compare it to themselves.
Science content
Biology: Features, Adaptations of Living Things (K, 1, 3, 7)
Biology: Classification of Living Things, Biodiversity (1, 3)
Science competencies (+ questioning + manipulation + others that are in every activity)
Planning/conducting: measuring (non-standard K up, standard 2 up)
Planning/conducting: data collection/recording (K up)
Evaluating: inferring (3 up)
Lessons activity is in
Black bear features
Materials
  • black bear template, cut from large sheets of paper
  • metre sticks
  • worksheet (attached)
  • bear footprint or printout
  • bear claws (if available) or print out
Procedure

Use a metre stick to measure a template of a black bear, and find out how tall and how long a bear is. (It is on all fours, 2m long and 1m high). Record it on a worksheet.

Stand next to the bear template to compare its size to their own (are you taller/shorter, narrower/wider) and measure your own height if time and able.

Students fit their foot into a bear print, to compare sizes.
Students look at a model of bear claws and compare their size to their own nails.
They can use space on the worksheet to draw the bear paw or claws.

Attached documents
worksheet_how_big_is_a_bear.pdf
Grades taught
Gr K
Gr 1