Migration and Camouflage
We had another fun week talking about animals in winter. This group is so playful and dramatic! We have been acting out all kinds of winter animal behavior and it’s been really fun! On Monday and Tuesday we read migration stories and talked about some of the different animals that migrate and why. We went to the forest on Monday and read Flight of the Snow Geese. Then we pretended to be geese and went on a migration journey in the forest looking for food, (in the form of cheerios), and making our way south.
On Tuesday we read Home at Last, about the migratory journey of some eastern white capped sparrows. We learned about how they use the stars, the sun and the magnetic fields of the earth to find their way. We went on a migratory journey around the school grounds following the stars to our southern home and back.
On Wednesday we started to focus on animals that don’t migrate and how they adapt to the winter. We read Animal Camouflage about animals that change color to match the snow and why. Then we covered the classroom with white blankets and sheets and covered ourselves with white towels and were arctic animals in the snow. We practiced hiding from predators and hunting prey. Here is a snowy owl flying around.
We also discovered some hidden animals in the snow by painting watercolor over some crayon resist snowshoe hares and arctic foxes.
On Thursday we read Owl Moon, a beautiful book about a parent and child going out looking for owls on a cold winter night. We talked about how the long nights of winter are good for night predators like owls. Then we went pretend owling. We got to be both owl seekers and owls! We also made some fun owl masks and made some lovely hot chocolate muffins.
Next week we will begin talking about the beginning of winter, the coming winter solstice, and our own traditions of finding light and warmth in the darkness. I love to follow our “animals in winter” unit with a focus on our own human holiday traditions and in making space to honor the moments of beauty and stillness that this time of year offers us.