Watson students learn about animal hibernation


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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Austintown Township Park supervisor Joyce Gottron (left) visited Watson Elementary to teach first-graders about hibernation on Jan. 6, and ended her program by teaching the kids the sign language motions for the animals they discussed. Gottron showed Patty Manning's first-graders the sign for deer- two hands on their heads representing antlers.

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Gottron explained how some animals adapt to the cold of winter instead of hibernating. To exemplify that fact, Gottron brought deer hides to have the children feel the difference between the animal's summer and winter coats. Angelina Mullholland (center) explored and felt the different hides.

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Snakes stay alive in the winter time by curling into a large "snake ball" and hibernating. Gottron invited Nacy Sinclair's first-graders to make their own snake ball and they happily obliged.

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Gottron brought the wing feather of a wild turkey, an animal that also shivers in the winter to trap its own body heat. She passed around the feather and students like Connor Ambrose (center right) explored it with their hands.

By SARAH FOOR

sfoor@vindy.com

When Austintown Township Park’s supervisor Joyce Gottron visited Watson Elementary Jan. 6, she had a whole bag of tricks to share with the students. The bag was full of important props Gottron used to teach the children about hibernation and how animals survive in the winter.

In an entertaining and interactive 30-minute program, Gottron taught the children about Ohio animals who either hibernate, move, become dormant for a period, or stay active all winter. To introduce the program, Gottron asked the children, “What do you like to do in the winter?”

Popular answers included Connor Ambrose’s choice activity, sledding, and Angelina Mullholland’s snowball fights.

“Think about how lucky you are because you’re active in the winter. The kids in Florida or California will never know all that fun,” Gottron told the children.

Gottron explained with stuffed toys how chipmunks, snakes and turtles all hibernate in the winter, and even had the children lay together flat in a snake pile, explaining that snakes use shared body heat to survive.

The park supervisor brought out the wing feathers of a wild turkey. She explained that non-migrating birds like turkeys and cardinals shiver all winter, an action that, with special feathers, helps the birds trap body heat.

Gottron provided the first-grade teachers with activities and suggestions for the grade’s hibernation unit. Then she issued an invitation.

“Do you know why I know all of this? Because I’ve observed it all right here in Austintown, in the woods surrounding the park. I hope you’ll come by, explore, and see it for yourselves.”

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