Science Unit 1: Introducing Seasons, Winter, Biomes, Tundra/Taiga, Animal Classification, Arctic Animals, and Two Explorers

Hi, I made this easy, fun winter unit for kids kindergarten to 3rd grade, ish. You can see us using it on my instagram: Ariana the Mama

First, here are the exact supplies I use, found on Amazon, linked with affiliate links:

Planet Earth
Properties of Ecosystems
The Complete Book of Animals
The Berenstains' Bears Big Book of Science and Nature
3 hole punch or Proclick binding system
1" binder or Proclick binding spines
printer
printing paper
crayons or markers
pencil
My printables (these are free, I will refer to these as Winter Unit Activity Book in this post)

Optional books that go along with this unit, but aren't necessary, listed at bottom of post!

(I use the Proclick Binding System, and have for years, because it creates a spiral bound notebook that can have pages added and taken out like a binder but with the ease of use of a notebook!)

Watch:

 

Have child write their name on the cover page of the Winter Unit Activity Book.

Turn to page 1 of the Winter Unit Activity Book.

Say everything in italics in this post out loud to child, or you can paraphrase.

What are the Seasons?

Winter, spring, summer, fall. (point to seasons on page )

We're going to learn about winter first.

Winter is the coldest season! People need extra clothes like big coats, mittens, and hats. Some animals hibernate (that means they sleep a whoooole lot through the cold), some animals migrate (that means they leave for warmer areas) and some animals think winter is juuuust right and stay right where they are. We're going to learn about those animals this week! In winter the days are shorter,the nights are longer and there can be snow, sleet, or freezing rain! 

Let me show you all about it!

READ: The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature pages 6-17 (all book passages listed can be read at once or over the course of a couple or a few days, it's up to you in the moment)

Winter Unit Activity Book page 2

Some places on earth are always cold, it always feels like winter!

READ: Planet Earth by Basher Science pages 106-107

Winter Unit Activity Book page 3

READ: Properties of Ecosystems pages 70-72

READ: Properties of Ecosystems pages 73

The polar bear is a mammal. You might be thinking, um cool... what is a mammal?

READ: The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature pages 88-103 (read in one day or over multiple days)

We get to put animals into groups they fit into. The scientist word for this is called classify. Let's classify, since you're learning how to be a scientist now! (older kids)

We're going to take scientist notes all about the animals we learn about since we're being scientists now! (younger kids)

Winter Unit Activity Book page 4 (younger) or 5 (older)  [you will need to print a copy of these pages for each animal we learn about during this unit and units to come]

Let's get back to polar bears and other animals that live in the winter-y parts of the world!

READ and ASSIGN: The Complete Book of Animals page 21, polar bear (keep this completed page!)

We know a lot about all this because some brave men already explored in cold parts of the world. We're going to learn about two of them who explored the North Pole!

Watch: Matthew Henson & Robert Peary: Explorers for kids

READ: Properties of Ecosystems pages 74-75 (for 2nd grade and up)

Winter Unit Activity Book page 6 [you will need to print multiple copies of this page for future use, too]

Let's get back to being animal scientists!

Read and Complete the following pages: (also, there are coordinating coloring pages at the end of the Winter Unit Activity Book)

The Complete Book of Animals page 6, caribou (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 7, ermine (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 8, lemming (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 9, musk ox (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 10, orca (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals pages 11-20, penguins (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 22, seal (this is on the back of page 21, polar bears) (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 23, predator and prey (polar bears and seals)

The Complete Book of Animals page 24, snowy owl (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 25, walrus (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 26, wolverine (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 28, bald eagle (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 31, gray wolf (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 45-54, bears

The Complete Book of Animals page 43-44, grizzly bear (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 55, moose (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

The Complete Book of Animals page 84, snow leopard (print page 4 or 5 of the Winter Unit Activity Book to go along with this)

Wow, we learned so much about cold air, cold places, and animals that live in the cold. Should we learn about another type of weather?

Spring Unit will be coming out soon. I'll link it here when it's ready.
Christmas Unit that goes with this Winter Unit will be coming soon. I'll link it here when it's ready.

Optional winter-themed read aloud books to read during this unit:

A Treasury of Children's Literature, page 293 or The Little Match Girl
The Hutchinson Treasury of Children's Literature, page 192 or The Winter Hedgehog
The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, page 42 or The Snowy Day
A Loud Winter's Nap
How to Catch a Snowman
Snowball Soup
Annie Oakley Saves the Day
Katy and the Big Snow, also found in Mike Mulligan and More
Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury, page 132
Owl at Home
Magic Treehouse Sunset of the Sabertooth
Magic Treehouse Polar Bears Past Bedtime
The Biggest Snowman Ever
There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow
Snowman Magic
Panda Bear, Panda Bear
The Berenstain Bears Storybook Favorites, page 161 or The Berenstain Bears Sick Days
Crow & Snow
Eric Carle Hot and Cold
The Hat
The Mitten
Mama's Milk
The Three Bears
Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young, pages 74-75

There is also a winter story included in the Winter Unit Activity Book, it is the last page.