Learn about Wildlife Adaptations with NWF’s Climate Classroom Kids!

Did you know, on the snow and ice, polar bears’ large paws work like snowshoes? Even though a polar bear can weigh as much as a small car, they can walk on ice that is too thin for humans to cross!

Take action for National Wildlife Week and learn more about the wildlife impacted by climate change around the world. NWF’s Climate Classroom Kids has hundreds of amazing and fun wildlife facts and lesson plans for grades 3-6 with adaptations for younger and older students. The educator guides and photo galleries are for educators and students of all ages who love wildlife and want to learn more about these amazing animals, to better understand the effects of climate change on their habitat and to take actions to reduce carbon pollution.

National Wildlife Week is a great time to talk about one of the biggest challenges wildlife face every day and how kids across the U.S. can make a
difference. Climate change is talked about everywhere –in the news, online and social media, and even in the movies and popular shows. It’s often debated and hard for grown-ups to sort facts from opinions and to determine what we should do about it. For kids, it can seem even more complicated and scary. That’s why age appropriateness is a vitally important ingredient of climate change education.

The most age-appropriate measure you can take as a teacher or parent is to help your younger students and children explore nature in their own neighborhoods and communities. This fosters a strong, positive connection with the natural world and builds a foundation for caring about global environmental problems later in life. But how do you answer the questions they will inevitably raise about climate change? And how do you begin to examine the topic in a manner that doesn’t frighten or overwhelm them? The best strategy is to provide children with brief, accurate information at a level you know they can understand and relate to—and in hopeful ways. Climate Classroom Kids can help you do just that.

Ideas for National Wildlife Week:

• Find lessons plans, fun facts and conservation projects aligned with science and social studies standards on your favorite animals, such as bison, polar bears, penguins, puffins, elephants, parrots and more
• Browse the photo gallery of North American and international wildlife. Use these images in your classroom and social media
• More fun activities include tips on getting your kids outdoors and photographing wildlife