When Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this February and proclaimed six more weeks of winter, most teachers groaned. Blustery winter weather and monotonous days cooped up in the classroom have the potential to spark cabin fever, riddling even the most well behaved classes with restless boredom and incidents of behavioral misconduct. As a teacher, it is your job to channel this anticipation and pent-up energy into something constructive. A positive exercise to keep students engaged during the long winter months is to discuss and observe the signs proving that spring is indeed on its way. Shannon C'de Baca, educator and creator of “HotChalk Science”, has compiled a detailed resource to accomplish just that! By observing and recording animal patterns, experts have learned a lot about the transition of winter to spring. C’de Baca suggests using the resources from Journey North which, through the use of frogs, earthworms, birds, etc. as examples, teaches students how to make their own observations and records about migration patterns and annual cycles. Additionally, the website allows students to submit their data, connecting their own observations with those of other students’ around the country.

Be sure to read C’de Baca’s full article to discover more signs of spring and dynamic ways to incorporate their study into your lessons. While it’s certainly not here, the proof that spring is on its way can be found all around us. You just have to look!

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