Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, April 15, 2011

Gallery (click any photo to view the gallery)

A polar bear skull really illustrates the familiar phrase 'bite your head off.'

Earth Day is April 22

Though the Arctic is a world away from the Bluegrass, students at Rosa Parks Elementary are grasping how conservation of natural resources and mistreatment of the environment both have ripple-effect ramifications.

More specifically, youngsters studying polar bears have grown savvy not only about their habits and habitat but also about the impact of human activity.

“It makes a connection to the larger picture for them. If they get the concept that it’s beyond our community, that’s a start,” said teacher Kim Galvin, a member of the school’s sustainability team.

To illustrate the effects of global warming, for instance, the kids melted ice cubes in their hands and played a type of polar-bear musical chairs.

“We had 10 pieces of construction paper spread out on the floor, and we jumped from one to the other and fought over the ice,” explained third-grader Nascia Phillips, who learned how the animals suffer when their home base is lost.

As a kickoff to Earth Week activities, Rosa Parks welcomed local expert Andrew Fore of Polar Bears International, who shared a bit of his experience. He showed off a model of a bear skull, let a boy try on his fur-lined parka and described the giant vehicle that protects scientists studying polar bears on their own frozen turf.

He noted how the bears’ deceivingly cuddly appearance belies their ferocity, intelligence and appetite for 300-pound ringed seals. His slide show and vivid descriptions provided a more realistic understanding of these North Pole aggressors, which can weigh half a ton and stand 10 to 15 feet tall on their hind legs.

As a surprise, students presented Fore with a $517 check for research after their three-day, schoolwide Pennies for Polar Bears campaign. Third-grader Trey Atkins said they lobbied hard with such slogans as “Bring your pennies, show you care. Help us save the polar bears!”

Fore also praised the kids for their recycling and energy-saving efforts.

Rosa Parks is one of nearly three dozen schools participating in E=USE² (Education leads to Understanding Sustainability, Energy and the Environment), a districtwide program that guides them through the Kentucky Green & Healthy Schools and the Kentucky NEED (National Energy Education Development) processes.

Earth Week fits right in with those initiatives. Rosa Parks’ sustainability team, which is a committee under its School-Based Decision Making Council, has planned:

• A brownout, where teachers can opt to shut off the lights in their classroom.
• No-waste lunches, in which students bring lunch boxes or bags with their own silverware, cloth napkins and washable containers to take home.
• A promotion of biking, walking and carpooling to school.
• Environmentally friendly lessons in specials classes, such as using recycled art supplies.
• A paperless homework night.
• “Green” food in the cafeteria.
• Litter pick-up on the school grounds.
• An “Earth Smart” Students of the Week bulletin board.

“By extending these activities through Earth Week, it lets students know we’ll continue (this “green” emphasis) all the time,” said second-grade teacher Daisy Andry, a member of the sustainability team.

Ashley Gabbard, who teaches kindergarten, agreed that students are learning how to be responsible citizens even at this young age.

“They don’t realize sometimes that as little as they are, they can make a difference,” she said.

Did you know?

• Adult male polar bears can weigh 775 to 1,500 pounds; females tip the scales at 350 to 550.
• A typical paw is 12 inches across, with 3-inch claws.
• Extremely strong neck and jaw muscles enable a bear to snatch a 300-pound seal right out of the water.
• Their fur actually is transparent or clear; the color depends on their surroundings. On a bright day, a bear might appear yellowish reflecting sunlight; on a cloudy day, the same bear could seem whiter, reflecting the snow.
• Polar bears are the only bears that do not hibernate in the winter.
• Cubs weigh only 1½ pounds at birth and stay close to their mother for nearly two years, nursing on fat-rich milk.
• In the wild, a polar bear’s life expectancy is 15 to 20 years.

Online: Polar Bears International