How Do Arctic Animals Stay Warm?
December 8, 2021 | Kate Streelman
As we continue with our study of the Arctic and Antarctic, we have learned a lot about different animals that call those places their home. But there was an important question to answer: how do those animals stay warm while swimming and living in freezing water?
Our science experiment today was about… BLUBBER!
Whales and Arctic mammals like penguins and polar bears, have a thick layer of fat under their skin called blubber. This fat can be anywhere from a couple of inches to a foot thick! We used plastic bags and vegetable shortening to simulate this layer.
After sharing some of our observations, we started to wonder about what else (besides shortening) could be used as an insulator. If you have time, try some things at home! We thought about play-doh, pudding, felt, or maybe even cardboard!
You can also see more details on the experiment at this website: Little Bins, Little Hands
