This article features activity books and polar-themed children's literature for use in the elementary classroom.

This article assembles free resources from the Polar Oceans issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

In this activity, students play a board game in which players try to ensure the survival of their animal species while dealing with problems (such as habitat destruction, pollution, or natural disasters) the animals encounter during the game. Prior to the game, the book Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers should be read aloud to the students and used to engage student thinking about human and environmental impact on animal survival.

Afraid of the dark? Hopefully, after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark, you will have a greater appreciation for the nighttime. Using our sense of touch, we will get “hands-on” with our first set of experiments!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.2 Using your sense of touch to ID things (2 min 20 sec): https://youtu.be/ffDhiYY_r78?t=134
4.L.1 Humans have poor eyesight at night, sense of touch heightened (2.5 min): https://youtu.be/ffDhiYY_r78?t=153

Learners compare a life-size drawing of a Tyrannosaurus rex head and a full-size Sinornithosaurus body to understand that dinosaurs varied in size. Learners trace individual pieces of a dinosaur on paper and then work together as a group to arrange the pieces of the "puzzle". This is an opportunity to understand scale drawings as well as learn how to work as a group.

This article introduces ARKive, a digital library of photographs and videos of the world's wildlife. The library gives special priority to at-risk species. The author notes how this interactive resource can be used by K-5 teachers to support other activities connected to the theme of this issue of the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle -- We Depend on Earth's Climate.

This article assembles free resources from the Tundra: Life in the Polar Extremes issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

After launching the unit on animals in winter by speaking with an expert, students choose an animal/topic to research. Students then decide which idea from the choice board to pursue to share their learning. 

This formative assessment item uncovers students' prior knowledge about the distribution of penguin species throughout the world. Teacher resources are given, including information about the content, instructional strategies as well as alignment to The National Science Education Standards. Additional resources include information, pictures, and lesson ideas involving penguin facts.

Let’s bring the inside out and discover how an animal’s skeleton tells us a lot about their behavior.

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full thing:
K.L.1 Bird vs. Bat Flight (16 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=3197
3.L.1, 5.L.1 Skeletal Adaptations of a Hawk (7 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=1080
3.L.1, 5.L.1 Bat Skeleton (3 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=1888
3.L.1, 5.L.1 What can the skull tell us? (10 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=2084
3.L.1, 5.L.1 Exoskeleton (2 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=2705
3.L.1, 5.L.1 Why feces are important (2.5 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=2981
3.L.1, 5.L.1 Turtle Shell (3 min): https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=3197

Animal Encounters:
1. Braveheart the Red-tailed Hawk: https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=1078
2. Madagascar Hissing Cockroach: https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=2701
3. Franklin the Eastern Box Turtle: https://youtu.be/FWJ6htDggqA?t=2701

The holidays are all about family, so join us and learn about some different, or similar, animal families and see if you recognize any of your family members!

We have created some helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Parental care of Ball Pythons vs. other snakes (2.5 min): https://youtu.be/XU_VjWMWqaU?t=966
2.L.2 White-tailed deer coats - fawns vs. adults (3 min): https://youtu.be/XU_VjWMWqaU?t=1653

Animal Encounters:
1. Sugar the Giant Marine Toad (4.5 min): https://youtu.be/XU_VjWMWqaU?t=461
2. Pogo the Ball Python (3.5 min): https://youtu.be/XU_VjWMWqaU?t=966
3. Braveheart the Red-tailed Hawk (6.5 min): https://youtu.be/XU_VjWMWqaU?t=2095

Just like people, animals of all shapes and sizes can be athletes too! Join us as we engage in fun activities, meet live animals and explore unique biofacts as we demonstrate different animal skills and talents.

We have created helpful clips if you are unable to watch the whole video:
2.P.1 Hissing Cockroach (1 min)= https://youtu.be/N_cGxIuuP0g?t=1081
3.P.3 Osteoderms energy (1 min)= https://youtu.be/dfxNrdHPtpk?t=2507
3.L.1 Osteoderms armor (1 min) = https://youtu.be/dfxNrdHPtpk?t=2463
4.L.1 Caribou Feet (2 min) = https://youtu.be/N_cGxIuuP0g?t=364

Animal Ambassador Clips:
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (6 min) = https://youtu.be/N_cGxIuuP0g?t=862
Northern Pine Snake (8 min) = https://youtu.be/N_cGxIuuP0g?t=1978
Barred Owl (9 min) = https://youtu.be/N_cGxIuuP0g?t=2844

Conservation Clips:
Bird feeder/house/toad abode/bat box (3 min) = https://youtu.be/N_cGxIuuP0g?t=3420

Have you ever wondered just how sound works sometimes without even making noise? This program will talk about how important sound is for all animals, even for animals without ears, vibrations are the key to communication!

We have created helpful clips if you are unable to watch the full video:
2.P.1 Sound waves (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=107
2.P.1 Elephant sounds and acoustic fat (6.5 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=194
2.P.1 Alligator Sounds (5 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=588
2.P.1 Rattlesnake Rattle (2 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=2394
2.P.1 How snakes use vibrations and hiss (9 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=1425
2.P.1 How/why madagascar hissing cockroaches hiss (3 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=2162
2.P.1 Cat purrs and roars (7 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=2394
2.P.1 Echolocation (3 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=2829

Animal Encounters:
Cypress the American Alligator (8 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=588
Griffon the Northern Pine Snake (9 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=1401
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (3 min): https://youtu.be/0mx3bkS6-Oc?t=2163

Join us for our last Zoo Classroom and learn what Nikki’s top 10 favorite animal facts are! Make sure to bring your #1 favorite animal fact to share with us!

We have created some helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
4.L.1 Polar Bear Sense of Smell (2 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=178
5.L.1 Seal Whiskers (3 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=742
5.L.1 Snake Jaws (9 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=1315
5.L.1 Giraffe Digestion (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2099
5.L.1 Bird Bones (2 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2193
5.L.1 Owl Silent Flight (3 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2641
5.L.2 Vampire Bat Saliva (2 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=1201
7.L.1 Tarantula hairs, spinnerets, eyes, venom, etc. (6.5 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=364
7.L.1 Elephant teeth/tusks (5 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=911
7.L.1 Snake Jaws (9 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=1315
7.L.1 Giraffe Digestion (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2099
7.L.1 Bird Bones (2 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2641
7.L.1 Owl Silent Flight (3 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2641

Animal Encounters:
1. Tarantula (6.5 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=331
2. King Tut the Eastern King Snake (9 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=1315
3. Terra the Barred Owl (9 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=2885

Conservation Efforts:
SMART (4 min): https://youtu.be/Zst1T6mrZ3E?t=1845

Come meet the United State's only native lion, the cougar, as we sink our claws into the newest Zoo EDventure!

We have created some helpful clips if you are unable to watch the whole video:
K.L.1 Mountain Lion vs. Bobcat (1 min): https://youtu.be/iRam0AuQv7Q?t=1133
4.L.1 Cougar teeth and Eyes (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/iRam0AuQv7Q?t=350

Afraid of the dark? Hopefully after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark you will have a greater appreciation for the night. Using our sense of touch, we will get “hands-on” with our first set of experiments!

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.2 Sense of Touch (15 sec): https://youtu.be/qmhrbAD0Lz8?t=134