This reading comprehension activity helps students in grades K-5 understand the habits and characteristics of groundhogs, including their hibernation patterns and the folklore surrounding Groundhog Day.
All about groundhogs
By Peter Friederici,
Highlights for Children
Word Count 228
Groundhog is a misleading name.
These quiet mammals do live in the ground, where they spend most of their time in burrows dug into soft soil. But they aren't hogs. They're in the squirrel family. Groundhogs leave their burrows when they need to eat. They tend to live where they can browse on leaves, flowers, and fruit.
Where, Oh Where?
Look for groundhogs in areas with open meadows and a mix of trees. But you may spot the bare-dirt entrances to their burrows more often than you'll spot the animals themselves.
Deep Sleep
They seal themselves into deep burrows, their body temperature drops, and their breathing rate and heart rate slow way down. Their bodies get the little nutrition they need in this state from fat stored in spring and summer. In late winter, they wake up. They continue to burn fat until plants start growing again above ground.
February 2 is Groundhog Day when Americans celebrate seeing a groundhog above ground. Folklore says that if a groundhog sees its shadow, spring will arrive late. (But groundhogs can't really predict the weather!)
What family do groundhogs belong to?
Groundhogs are also known as "whistle pigs."
What do groundhogs eat?
What happens to groundhogs during hibernation?
Explain the significance of Groundhog Day in the text.