It may be a month away, but you can be sure the folks in Punxsutawney, PA are gearing up for Groundhog Day on February 2nd. That is when Phil the Groundhog predicts the fate of winter’s cold grasp by with his shadow – or lack thereof. Bring a bit of levity to your classroom with the fun activities below as you discuss this old tradition with your students on Groundhog Day.
Groundhog Day Lessons
Groundhog Toss
This activity is not for the overly rambunctious class, but it is a fun way to work math skills into the day. On the classroom floor, map out a grid with masking tape. Have students make predictions about how far they think they can toss underhanded a small groundhog shaped beanie toy. Graph the predictions using a line graph. After predicting, have students toss the groundhog and record the actual measurement. Make another line graph to compare and contrast the accuracy of the predictions.
Groundhog Treasure Hunt
Delve into geography, map skills, and math with this fun and interactive Groundhog Day idea. Divide students into small groups and give them each a small groundhog toy or cut-out. Have them hide their groundhogs and create a treasure map, complete with instructions and a red “x”, to help their classmates find their groundhog. The treasure map should include all of the appropriate map symbols and the directions should include the correct number of paces, inches, or feet to get from point to point.
Groundhog Day Acrostic Poem
Acrostic poems are so much fun and with Groundhog Day, there are a number of words that your students can use to make their poems. Here is a list of some of the word choices that they could use as the backbone for their poems: groundhog, spring, winter, shadow, Punxsutawney, hibernate, February, and snow.
What are some of your favorite Groundhog Day activities? Share them with us below!
amy marsh says
I gave my students a chart so they could ask their family members to predict whether the groundhog will see his shadow and a small graph to show their results. Then we get together to compare our graphs!