Are you looking for fun and educational activities for learning about the bears of Brooks Falls at Katmai National Park? Or are you looking to teach your students even more about the AMAZING bears and salmon in celebration of Fat Bear Week?
In this blog post, I’ll be sharing some easy ways you can incorporate math, science, reading, and writing into your bear lessons!
If you’ve never watched the live stream of the bears catching jumping salmon before, be sure you visit the live stream page OR watch highlight reels on YouTube!
Math Activities
- How Many Salmon? Multiplication: Have students count the number of bears present on the Brooks Falls. Then, have them multiply by 40 (the number of salmon a bear eats each day). You can make simpler multiplication equations for students if you need to.
- Salmon Migration Addition: Have students research and add up the distances the salmon travel to return to their birthplace to spawn.
Science Activities
- Bear Behavior Observations: Encourage students to observe bear behavior at Brooks Falls through videos or live streams. Have students draw and document different behaviors such as fishing techniques, interactions between bears, and habitat. This activity promotes scientific observation skills and understanding of animal behavior. 🐻
- Salmon Life Cycle: Teach your students the many steps of the life cycle of the sockeye salmon by watching videos about the salmon life cycle and migration and by creating this spinning wheel.
Reading Activities
- 🐻Bear Stories: Introduce students to fiction books featuring bears in the wild. Assign reading passages or stories that highlight bear characteristics, habitats, and conservation efforts. After reading, compare and contrast the similarities and differences between fictional bear stories and the real bears at Brooks Falls.
- Bear and Salmon Cause and Effect: Write cause-and-effect sentence pairs to help students understand how intertwined the bears and salmon are. (Or, use the cause & effect cut and glue worksheet included in the resource below.)
Writing Activities
- Bear Adventure Narratives: Prompt students to write creative narratives imagining themselves as bears exploring Brooks Falls. Encourage them to describe their adventures, interactions with other bears, and challenges faced in the wild. This activity promotes imaginative writing skills and allows students to express their creativity. Learn 5 hooks to teach your students to write a strong introduction to their narrative here.
- Salmon Research Reports: Task students with researching and writing reports on the importance of salmon in the ecosystem of Brooks Falls. Students can investigate salmon life cycle, behavior, and the nutrition they provide the bears.
🐻 Fat Bear Week Fun! 🐻
At the end of the season, it’s time for Katmai National Park’s Fat Bear Week! Fat Bear Week is an exciting celebration at Katmai National Park where the public can participate in voting for the plumpest and healthiest bear before it hibernates.
When is Fat Bear Week 2024? October 2nd-8th!
During Fat Bear Week, young learners and online followers can discover more about these bears and their journey to prepare for hibernation. It’s a fun opportunity to honor these incredible creatures and understand how they flourish in the wild.
Take part in the fun and vote with your class each day! Be sure to check the bracket the next day to see if your bear moved to the next round. The bear that receives the most votes earns the title of “Fat Bear Champion,” showcasing its impressive size and strength gained from a summer of fishing in Katmai’s waters.
Looking for resources for Fat Bear Week or for teaching your students about the bears and salmon of Brooks Falls? Check out these:
