Thursday 12th March 2026

LC: To read and record information on polar bears.

Grammar

Determiners: 

Reminder: 

articles: a/an, the

demonstratives: this/that; these/those

possessives: my/your/his/her/its/our/their

quantifiers: some, any, no, many, much, every

Check and improve these sentences using the correct determiners. 

Many Artic circle is an imaginary line around the globe.

Sea-ice provides a platform for this creatures.

Every one of us needs these ice in some frozen worlds.

We are burning fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into these Earth’s atmosphere.

Many causes global warming and ice melting.

Task: Read the polar bear facts and make notes on Polar Bears. 

Read, turn and  learn again. 

Polar Bear Facts

• There are 8 different types of bears in the world and polar bears are listed as a vulnerable species. This means they could become extinct unless people protect them and their habitats.
• Male polar bears are twice the size of females and can weigh as much as ten teachers – up to 750kg!
• When standing on their back legs, they can be up to 3m tall. Their huge size and weight makes them the world’s largest predator.
• Polar bears like to live by themselves on the frozen Arctic sea where the average winter temperature is -34 degrees, twice as cold as ice-cream!
• They have thick layers of blubber and fur to keep them warm and can swim happily for long distances in the freezing water without getting cold! The furthest recorded swim was 300km.
• Polar bears mainly eat seals which give them lots of energy but are very difficult to catch. Although they are really good swimmers, they are not fast enough in the water to catch seals. They use the sea ice as a platform and can wait patiently by a seal breathing hole for several hours for a seal to pop up.
• They are at the top of the food chain and are important at keeping the seal population in check.
• During the late summer and early autumn, polar bears will search for walrus and whale carcasses along the coastal areas. There is more open land at this time of the year and this diet is more varied.
• They have an incredible sense of smell and can sniff out a seal on the ice up to 32km away.
• Female polar bears normally give birth to twins in the winter and the mother digs a snow cave to keep them all warm. The cubs grow very quickly, staying with their mother for 2 years whilst she teaches them how to hunt, swim and survive in their harsh icy world.
• During severe weather, polar bears stay in their dens and don’t eat but survive off their fat reserves.
• Polar bears are extremely strong and active and can cover the ground quickly with long strides of their bowed legs. The soles of their feet are covered with hair to help them get a grip on slippery ground.
• The exploration and recovery of natural gas and oil in the Arctic Basin could destroy important polar bears habitats and food supplies.
• In March 2009, it was officially recognised that the greatest threat to polar bears has shifted from hunting to climate change.
• The crust of ice, called ‘pack ice,’ is where the polar bears like to hunt during the winter. Every year between June and October, this ice melts. Global warming has resulted in there being around 15% less ice than there was 20 years ago.
• Polar bears can live on land but they need to eat and the main place to find their food is on the ice!

LC: To independently write information about polar bears. 

Talk like an Expert:

Watch the Junior Mastermind Clip setting the audience and purpose for the role play scenario. 

Task: Write questions for the expert to answer. 

E.g:  a statement into a question from the facts collected-  Polar bears are really strong swimmers. – Are polar bears good swimmers? 

Role play: 

Use questions generated to quiz the expert, orally, as part of the role play Mastermind.

Task: Write the next information paragraph focused on polar bears, independently. Remember to write like an expert on polar bears.

Adapted: 

Using the information below Write information about polar bears, independently.