I have a fun homeschool panda unit study. Also, look at my pages Best Homeschool Unit Studies and 4 Week Free China Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas for more activities.
Are giant pandas bears or raccoons?
For years scientists have wondered the same thing about this amazing animal.
After much DNA testing, scientists determined they were more closely related to bears
Too, they share many physical traits with raccoons.
And although they look cuddly, they can be dangerous as any animal.
Besides, giant pandas mostly prefer to be alone.
And their scientific Name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca.
However, it’s their distinctive black and white fur and cute faces that make them favorites for animal lovers.
Let’s dive into our homeschool panda unit study.
BOOKS ABOUT PANDAS FOR KIDS
First, look at some books.
I prefer to use living books when I find them. I know you’ll love some of these I’ve rounded up.
7 Beautiful Books About Pandas
Add these fun books to your home reading library or use any for a fun day themed study or a deeper dive like unit study.
Giant pandas: they are indigenous to China and are adored the world over. But they are more than a bundle of fluff and squeaks. Giant pandas are energetic climbers and swimmers. In one year, they may eat around 10,000 pounds of bamboo. And people in China have worked together to create protected areas for giant pandas to live peacefully.
Follows the first several years of a female giant panda in the Chinese province of Sichuan and presents historical commentary on human being's relationship with pandas
This book simply explains complex information about endangered species by asking questions like " Where have all the tigers gone,?" " Why are the rhinos endangered?," and "Are people saving pandas?" Where have all the pandas gone?From the bamboo forests of China--to near extinction. Today, there are only about 1,000 giant pandas left in the entire world.
When Stillwater, a giant panda, moves into Addy, Michael and Karl's neighborhood, he tells them the most amazing stories!
To Addy he tells a story about the value of material goods.
To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad.
And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration.
With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth - and Stillwater the bear - present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch.
Join in the fantastic fun as one grumpy panda sets off a frenzy of wild partying. There's grunting and growling and prancing and prowling, skipping and scowling and squealing and yowling, squeaking and squawking, snarling and snorting, hysterical howling and chaotic cavorting—all because of one grumpy panda.
If You Were a Panda Bear introduces different types of bears to young children. Through the poems in this charming storybook, kids will learn that pandas are shy and eat bamboo, black bears love to climb trees, and grizzly bears can be up to ten feet tall. A section at the back includes even more fun animal facts. The full-color illustrations are playful and bring the personality of each bear wonderfully to life.
A giant panda and her baby set off on a search for a safe, sustaining home in this informative tale about an enchanting creature.High on a mist-wrapped mountain, a mother panda cradles her newborn, pink and impossibly small. The bamboo patch they need for food is dying, and as soon as her baby is old enough, they must seek a new home, sleeping in trees and swimming across icy streams along the way. Nick Dowson’s lyrical text, interspersed with intriguing facts, follows one of nature’s most magnificent — and endangered — species on its search for a safe habitat, while Yu Rong’s expressive, delicate brushwork brings these legendary creatures to life.Back matter includes an index, and a note about pandas.
Next, learn about the history and geography of pandas.
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY PANDA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1
The capital of China is Beijing (BAY-jing). The first giant panda bear came to the United States from China in 1936. His name was Su-Lin.
Panda bears live in the thick forests of China. The people of China are so proud of the giant panda that they have become a symbol of their country.
In the wild, giant pandas are only found in central China within the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi.
Red pandas live primarily in temperate forests in the hills surrounding the Himalayan Mountains.
- Look at my 4 Week Free China Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas to learn about the geography of the provinces.
- Panda have significant cultural in Chinese history and folklore. They are seen as symbols of peace and friendship.
- Free China printable reader filled with interesting facts about china.
- Use a world map to locate China and the specific regions where pandas live.
- From Panda Tribe: “The giant panda’s black-and-white coloration resembles the ancient Chinese Taiji (Yin-Yang) symbol. References to giant pandas can even be found in classic texts such as the “Book of Songs” and “Records of the Grand Historian,” indicating that they have been linked to Chinese culture for a long time.”
NATURE & SCIENCE PANDA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2
And because we are studying about a type of bear, this unit study will be nature and science heavy.
So, they are a small- to medium-sized bear that are white with distinctive black markings.
They live in the steep bamboo forests of China and feed almost nonstop on bamboo.
Many pandas will spend about 16 hours a day feeding on bamboo.
Giant pandas live in old-growth conifer forests that are found at high altitudes in the mountains. Dense stands of bamboo, which pandas rely heavily on, are found within these forests.
Both the giant panda and the red panda have a “thumb”.
The thumb is actually a greatly enlarged and modified wrist bone. A smaller version of this bone is present in bears, raccoons, and other carnivores. It helps the pandas handle bamboo as they eat it
The mating season of the giant panda occurs from March to May. However, a mature female panda (at least six years of age) only ovulates once a year and is only able to conceive for one to three days within that period.
MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS PANDA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3
Too, look at learning these vocabulary words.
- Mandarins – main language spoken in China
- Endangered Species -A species (plant or animal) that is in danger of extinction in the near future.
- Deforestation – The destruction of forests, primarily rain forests, through direct human activity (like logging, clearing for agriculture and grazing) and indirect effects of pollution.
- Paddies – fields that are flooded to grow rice
ARTS & CRAFTS PANDA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 4
Finally, look at these fun arts and crafts
Finally, look at this study guide about pandas for your young learners.
DYNAMIC AND AMAZING PANDA STUDY GUIDE FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
My study guides are the best bite size chunks of information for various topics.
But one of the best things about my pandas study guide is that important information is highlighted.
Not all kids like the dense amount of information on topics found in books.
So use the study guides alone or as part of a deeper dive into the world of pandas.
This printable is a 45 page .pdf.
Look at some of the topics.
- What are giant pandas
- Habitat
- Giant Panda Anatomy
- Anatomy of a Giant Panda
- Diet and Eating Habits
- Panda Life Cycle
- Social and Communication
- A Day in the Life
- Seasonal Behavior
- Predators and Threats
- Pandas and Other Bears
- Giant Pandas & Red Pandas
- Panda Conservation
- Glossary
- Fun Panda Facts
- True or False
- Panda Adaptations
- Fill in the Blanks
- Quiz Time
- Be a Panda Protector
- Describe the panda
- Panda Passport
HOW TO GET THE PANDA PRINTABLE INFORMATION PACKET
You can get it now!
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