Hibernation Habits

Grade Level

1st Grade

Duration

30 minutes

Unit

Seasons of Learning (Lesson 9 of 30)

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify several animals that hibernate during the winter.
• Describe simple adaptations animals use to survive winter through hibernation.
• Use descriptive language and observational skills to explain animal habits related to seasonal changes.

---

Common Core State Standards Alignment

ELA Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1

• Ask and answer questions about key details in a text related to animal hibernation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3

• Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text (e.g., animals and their winter habits).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2

• Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says to clarify understanding during class discussions.

Science Integration (Next Generation Science Standards relevant to Common Core connections)

1-LS1-2

• Read texts and construct an argument with evidence that some animals have adaptations for survival like hibernation during winter.

---

Materials Needed

• Picture cards or flashcards of animals that hibernate (e.g., bears, bats, groundhogs, hedgehogs).
• Age-appropriate short informational text about animal hibernation.
• Chart paper or whiteboard.
• Colored crayons or markers.
• "Hibernation Habits" simple worksheet with pictures and space for drawing.

---

Lesson Procedure

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Engage the student by asking, “Have you ever wondered how animals stay safe and warm in the winter?”
• Show pictures of animals and ask if they know what these animals do when it gets cold outside.
• Introduce the word hibernation and explain it simply: “Hibernation is when some animals sleep all winter so they don’t get too cold or run out of food.”

Read Aloud & Discussion (8 minutes)

• Read the short informational text on animal hibernation aloud, pausing to ask questions:
  • “What animals do you hear about that hibernate?”
  • “Why do they hibernate?”
• Use picture cards to visually reinforce the animals mentioned in the text.
• Record student responses on chart paper for visuals and review.

Interactive Activity: Sorting Animals (8 minutes)

• Present picture cards of various animals (hibernators and non-hibernators).
• Ask the student to sort them into two groups: “Animals that hibernate” and “Animals that don’t hibernate.”
• Discuss why some animals do not hibernate and what they do instead (e.g., some migrate or grow thick fur).

Drawing and Writing (7 minutes)

• Give the student a worksheet to draw their favorite hibernating animal and write one sentence describing how it stays safe in the winter.
• Offer sentence starters such as “_____ hibernates because…” or “This animal stays safe by…” to scaffold writing aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3 (Write narratives to describe events).

Closing & Assessment (2 minutes)

• Review key points orally by asking the student to explain what hibernation is and name one animal that hibernates and one adaptation it uses.
• Provide positive feedback and affirm their understanding.

---

Differentiation & Modifications

• For students needing additional support, provide sentence strips with simple sentences to select or reorder.
• For advanced students, introduce the concept of how body temperature and heart rate slow during hibernation using simple terms.

---

Reflection & Next Steps

• Encourage the student to observe animals outdoors or in books over the next weeks and think about what they might do in winter.
• Connect with the next lesson on how animals find food or shelter during colder months.

---

This lesson balances literacy and science integration tailored to first graders, using multi-sensory learning and inquiry aligned with Common Core Standards for robust engagement and conceptual understanding around the natural world.