12A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 4, 2017
© 2017 by Vicki Whiting, Editor
Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 33, No. 4
This little cub has taken some of
the words out of this article. Can
you find where each one belongs?
Have a parent check your work.
Big and white, fluffy and furry, these are adjectives that describe a polar bear!
Can you think of other adjectives that would describe this animal?
Polar bears love
fish! How many
fish can you catch
on this page?
Each hair shaft is transparent
with a hollow core that scatters
and reflects visible light,
much like what happens
with ice and snow, giving it
a bright white appearance.
Polar bears live on ice near the North Pole in the
Arctic, which is covered in ice and surrounded by
very cold water. But that doesn’t bother a polar bear.
30°C
In January, the average
temperature in the Arctic
ranges from a chilly
0°C to -34°C (32°F to -40°F).
20°C
10°C
0°
In July, the average temperature
range is from –10°C to 10 °C
-10°C
(14°F to 50 °F).
In each box, write the letter that comes before the
letter at the bottom of each box to find a couple of
cool ways these fluffy fellows stay warm.
A polar bear cub weighs only
about one __________ when
it is born and are about 12 to
14 inches long.
-20°C
Color the graph to show the
temperature range in each
month using Celsius.
-30°C
-40°C
-50°C
guard hairs
G
B
U
G
B
V
O
E
Very Special Fur
dense, short fur
The long, oily guard hairs are tiny,
hollow tubes that trap warmth and
hold it close to the skin. Their oily
surface keeps polar bears dry.
Polar bear paws can grow to be
12 inches across (31 centimeters)
and help distribute weight when
treading on thin ice.
covered by small, soft bumps known as papillae
footpads may help with purchase as well
as can their claws.
What’s another
name for a polar
bear’s layer of fat?
The letters along
the correct ice path
reveal the answer.
A
B
E
N
E
Z
L
C
R
B
T
U
Write the answer here:
E
B
R
These statements are either all true or all false. Check your
answers by adding up the numbers next to each of your
answers. If the total is 33, you’ve got it right!
g
ar youn
e
b
r
a
l
o
P
d cubs.
are calle
skin
Under the guard hairs is a layer of dense, short, soft hairs that
trap heat close to the skin, like thermal underwear.
rudders for steering.
Polar bear cubs
are born without
hair and are blind
and deaf.
A polar
nose can bear’s
seal on t smell a
he
miles aw ice 20
ay!
Polar
be
is bla ar skin
ck.
Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.
REFLECTS
FOOTPADS
THERMAL
HOLLOW
ARCTIC
POLAR
BEARS
LAYER
WHITE
GUARD
HAIRS
DENSE
TUFTS
OILY
PAWS
These little guys grow up to
be BIG. A male polar bear can
grow to be 1,200 pounds.
A female about 650 pounds.
They start to get ________ at
about eight weeks. They stay
in the den drinking mama bear’s
nutritious milk for about three
to four ___________.
Polar bears have two types of fur:
long oily guard hairs and short
insulating hairs.
S
A polar bear starts its life in a
den or ice _________ that its
mother _______ into the snow.
The den protects the mother and
the cubs from _________, cold
and predators. The den stays
warm inside as heat from the
mother bear warms the tight
___________ and the frozen
walls trap the warm air.
Verbs and
Adjectives
Look through the
newspaper and find
five adjectives that
describe a polar bear.
Then find five verbs
that describe how a
polar bear moves.
Write one or more
sentences about a
polar bear using your
adjectives and verbs.
Young polar bears stay with
their mothers until they are
around 30 months old. By then,
they have learned how to
____________ in the cold and
find food on their own.
Movies and books sometimes show
polar bears and penguins together.
But they actually live on opposite
ends of the earth. Polar bears only
live in the Arctic and penguins live
in the Antarctic.
Standards Link: Research:
Use the newspaper to locate
information.
C P O E S N E D L S
I A R L A M R E H T
T B E A P A W S R C
C O S S U W H I
T E
R T I G O B A A U L
A A Y L E W I A F F
R M L A Y E R A T E
L O R O W A S Y S R
H S D A P T O O F S
This week’s word:
THERMAL
The adjective thermal means
relating to or saving heat.
The thermal layer in
Jane’s jacket helped her
stay warm while skiing.
Try to use the word thermal in
a sentence today when talking
with your friends and family.
News Article Mix-Up
Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.
ANSWER:%HFDXVHWKH\·GORRNNLQG
of silly in Hawaiian shirts!
Cut out an article from the newspaper. Cut
the article into four pieces. Give the pieces
to a friend to see if he or she can put the
article back together in the right order.
Write at least two facts
and two opinions
about bears.
Cottage Grove Sentinel
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