Groundhog Day
1 minK1st2nd3rd4th5thSocial Studies
Summary
Is it time for spring or will we have six more weeks of winter? Why does a groundhog get to decide? Find out more about the history of this holiday and about Punxsutawney Phil.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Short explainer (1 min) from PBS LearningMedia's *All About the Holidays*.
- What is supposed to happen when the groundhog sees its shadow?
- Where did this tradition come from before it reached Pennsylvania?
- Is a groundhog a good way to predict the weather? How could you check?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: tradition, shadow, prediction, Punxsutawney.
Try it: Keep a shadow log: check outside at noon for three days and note whether you could see your shadow.