Are you Team Winter or Team Spring?
Personally, I am always in favor of sunny skies and warm weather! 🌞
Groundhog Day is one of those silly American traditions that doesn’t hold much weight for most people. However, it’s just the right kind of silly to make a fun day of learning in your upper elementary classroom. Here are some of my favorite Groundhog Day activities for upper elementary that still incorporate math and ELA standards.
Write Persuasive Essays
Start your day by having students write essays about whether there should be six more weeks of winter or whether spring should come early. Have students share their essays with the class… this may even spark a fun debate!
When students are finished, take a vote. Record the results in a tally chart or a bar graph. Does your class favor cold or warm weather?
Play Probability Games
There is no better time to work on probability than on February 2!
For my math block, I set up stations around the room with Groundhog Day-themed probability games and worksheets. Some of my math Groundhog Day activities include–
- groundhog dice races
- spinner games
- researching weather forecasts and explaining how different weather conditions change the probability of the groundhog seeing his shadow
- creating sample spaces from word problems
You can find all my groundhog-themed probability games and worksheets in THIS activity pack.
Study Groundhog Day History
Have you ever wondered how this strange tradition came to be? Would you believe that it has European origins and that badgers were once used to predict the weather?
Students can enjoy fun facts like these and more by reading about the history of Groundhog Day. My Groundhog Day Activity Pack includes a passage with comprehension questions that tells about the history and traditions associated with the holiday. The activity pack also includes a foldable book and four additional worksheets that develop reading, vocabulary, and writing skills.
Read Picture Books
If you’ve followed me for long, you know that I love using picture book read alouds with upper elementary students. Even big kids enjoy being read to and looking at pictures.
There are several fun picture books that you can easily incorporate into your Groundhog Day activities. Here are a few of my favorites–
- How to Catch a Groundhog by Alice Walstead: This story will have your students laughing and incorporates STEM concepts. After reading, students can even design a trap to catch a groundhog.Â
- Groundhog’s Day Off by Robb Pearlman: When Groundhog decides to take the year off, the people try to find another animal to fill his spot. After reading, have students write a short essay describing which animal would be best for predicting the weather.
- Groundhog Gets a Say by Pamela Curtis Swallow: Groundhog wants everyone to know he is more than his shadow, and, through this story, students learn loads of interesting facts about groundhogs. After reading, students can compare and contrast groundhogs to an animal of their choice.
Conclusion
Just because students aren’t in primary school anymore, doesn’t mean they can’t celebrate silly holidays. There are plenty of Groundhog Day activities you can use with upper elementary that still incorporate math and ELA standards!
Will you be celebrating Groundhog Day with your upper elementary students? Let me know down in the comments!
