First graders are learning about the arctic tundra, as we transition into third trimester in which we will learn about world biomes. Through fiction and nonfiction read alouds, students have completed several activities relating to the tundra. Jan Brett’s book The Three Snow Bears provided us with the opportunity to compare two texts as it is an arctic version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Students compared the characters, setting, and plot of each, identifying similarities and differences as they made connections between the texts. Nonfiction books such as The Magic School Bus In the Arctic and Tundra introduced students to key science terms such as tree line and permafrost. As we learn about each biome, students will study the animals and plant life of that area. Animals of the tundra include: arctic foxes, arctic squirrels, polar bears, caribou, snow geese, tundra swans, shorebirds, wolves, lemmings, arctic hares, and musk oxen. Plant life of the tundra includes: wildflowers, mosses, grasses, small shrubs, dwarf birch, dwarf spruce, and lichen.
Our Habitats
Trimester 3 has just begun and first graders are beginning a unit on animals, classifications and habitats. Before we can dive deep into the six