Groundhog Day

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the tradition and history of Groundhog Day.

• Students will be able to state when Groundhog Day occurs.

• Students will be able to tell the legend of the Groundhog and what it is said to mean when the groundhog sees its shadow.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade - 6th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Groundhog Day is a tradition in the United States that is based on folklore. It occurs each year on February 2, about halfway between the first day of winter and the first day of spring. According to legend, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on Groundhog Day and does not see its shadow, winter will be over soon. If the groundhog does see its shadow, it will run back into its hole, and there will be six more weeks of winter.

The legend of the groundhog can be traced back to the fifth century and a group of people called Celts who lived in Europe. The Celts believed that animals had special powers on certain days. The day half way between the beginning of winter (called the Winter Solstice) and the beginning of spring (called the Spring Solstice) was one of those days.

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