From Brrr to Burrow

Learn about what happens when the temperature drops and watch your students curiosity heat up! From Brrr to Burrow uses examples from organisms to help students solve problems in a relatable way. How do animals maintain their body heat and conserve energy in freezing temperatures? Did you know there are many ways animals can keep their body temperature the same? From Brrr to Burrow is a Science Unlocked Wonder level curriculum kit that is an exploration into thermoregulation for your budding biologist!

In this kit, your student will determine how animals stay warm in cold weather. Students will also discover why animals can live in extreme Antarctic regions of the world. They will finish by designing solutions to the human problem of being too cold by mimicking animals. From Brrr to Burrow comes with a full-color Student Curriculum Workbook and helpful Teacher Guide. An inquiry-based approach fully engages students in the phenomenon of thermoregulation. Step-by-step instructions for all activities allow students independence in their learning, allowing teachers to assist rather than direct learning. This Wonder level kit will provide over 6 hours of learning, educating your student in the phenomenon of thermoregulation. 

In this kit, the student will engage in these fun activities:

1. Discover how body weight and a fat layer (or blubber) slows heat loss and acts as insulators to arctic animals, particularly when they are in cold water
2. Read about winter coats and how they provide warmth to artic animals such as polar bears and artic foxes 
3. Determine the best shape and size for animals in cold climates and other habitats
4. Assess how soil acts as insulation for burrowing species
5. Design your own solution to the human problem of being too cold

Use "From Brrr to Burrow" to answer questions such as:

• How do animals stay warm in the winter?
• What is the difference between endotherms and ectotherms?
• Are animals perfectly suited to their environments?
• What is important about an animal's home?
• Do humans mimic animals? If so, how?

This kit is bound to spark curiosity and get your student thinking about icy water and the importance of a thick layer of fat to keep different animals warm in the extreme cold and winter months. Animals do more than huddle together to stay warm. Thick fur and a layer of blubber can go a long way to protect them from ice water in the extreme cold and prevent frostbite.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Student Workbook Sample and Teacher Guide Sample! 

Our From Brrr to Burrow kit is a part of the Science Unlocked Wonder series and is recommended for grades K-2.

More Information

• Safety Information (SDS)

This kit contains:

• 4 4X6 Bags
• 2 Cups
• 2 Rubber Bands
• 2 Thermometers
• 1 Clay
• 1 Fur
• 1 Peat Moss
• 1 Petroleum Jelly

You will also need:

• Ice
• Large bowl
• Microwave (Note: The microwave is used in Activity 3. You will be putting balls of clay in paper cups and those paper cups in the microwave for 1 minute. If you have a high-powered microwave, it is suggested that you turn the power down or put the cups in for two rounds of 30 seconds rather than one round of 1 minute.)
• Watch
• Water

• Learning outcome: Discover the amazing ways animals stay warm.
• NGSS science standards alignment

• 1-LS1-1: Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
• 2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.