How Animals Survive in Winter: Migration and Hibernation
Learn how animals move, sleep, and adapt when it gets cold
How Animals Survive in Winter: Migration and Hibernation
Learn how animals move, sleep, and adapt when it gets cold
Science - Grade 2-3
- 1
What does migration mean? Write one sentence and name one animal that migrates.
Think about birds flying south for the winter.
Migration means moving from one place to another when the seasons change. A goose is one animal that migrates to find warmer weather and food. - 2
What does hibernation mean? Write one sentence and name one animal that hibernates.
Hibernation means an animal goes into a deep sleep or resting state during winter. A bear, bat, or groundhog is an animal that hibernates. - 3
Circle the best answer: In winter, many birds migrate because they need more food, colder air, or deeper snow. Explain your choice.
Birds go where they can find what they need to live.
Many birds migrate because they need more food. In winter, insects, seeds, and other foods can be harder to find in cold places. - 4
A frog spends the winter buried in mud at the bottom of a pond. Is this more like migration or hibernation? Explain.
This is more like hibernation because the frog stays in one place and rests through the cold winter. - 5
Match each animal to its winter survival strategy: monarch butterfly, black bear, squirrel. Choices: migrates, hibernates, stores food.
Think about which animal flies a long distance, which animal sleeps in a den, and which animal hides nuts.
A monarch butterfly migrates, a black bear hibernates, and a squirrel stores food for winter. - 6
Why might a rabbit grow thicker fur in winter?
A rabbit may grow thicker fur in winter to help keep its body warm in cold weather. - 7
Some animals store food before winter. Why is storing food helpful?
Think about what happens when snow covers nuts, seeds, and plants.
Storing food is helpful because food can be hard to find in winter. The animal can eat the stored food when snow or cold weather covers its usual food. - 8
A bird flies from a cold forest to a warmer place in the fall. What is the bird doing, and why?
The bird is migrating. It is moving to a warmer place where it can find food and survive the winter. - 9
A bat sleeps in a cave for much of the winter and uses very little energy. What is this called?
This is a deep winter rest.
This is called hibernation. The bat rests in a safe place and uses less energy when food is hard to find. - 10
How are migration and hibernation different?
Migration means an animal moves to a new place for the season. Hibernation means an animal stays in one place and rests or sleeps through much of the winter. - 11
How are migration and hibernation alike?
Both are ways animals stay alive during a difficult season.
Migration and hibernation are alike because both help animals survive winter when it is cold and food may be hard to find. - 12
Look at these clues: This animal eats a lot in fall, finds a den, and rests through winter. Is it likely migrating or hibernating? Explain.
The animal is likely hibernating because it eats a lot before winter, stays in a den, and rests instead of traveling to another place. - 13
A squirrel hides acorns in many places before winter. What problem is the squirrel getting ready for?
Squirrels do not fly south like many birds.
The squirrel is getting ready for a time when food is harder to find. The hidden acorns give it food to eat during winter. - 14
Choose one winter survival strategy: migration, hibernation, storing food, or growing thicker fur. Explain how it helps an animal.
One example is growing thicker fur. Thicker fur helps an animal stay warm when the air is cold and snow is on the ground. - 15
A student says, "All animals survive winter by hibernating." Is the student correct? Explain why or why not.
There is more than one way for animals to survive winter.
The student is not correct. Some animals hibernate, but other animals migrate, store food, grow thicker fur, or stay active in winter.