Polar Bear
Text by Liz McKenzie Photos and Sounds by Richard Nelson
Polar Bear
To listen to polar bears growl, move cursor over bottom of slide, then click on the play arrow.
The Sea Bear
Imagine a creamy-white mountain moving gracefully across a frozen sea. Imagine a land mammal morphing over time into a marine mammal—now with a thick insulating layer of fat for protection against frigid arctic cold, and hollow hairs that trap air to keep it warm and buoyant in freezing water.
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Traditional Knowledge: Genius on Ice
Indigenous people of the arctic have lived in close contact with polar bears for thousands of years. Theirs is a remarkable and unlikely relationship, in which each is sometimes prey to the other.
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White Bears and a Warming Arctic
In the summer of 2008, a seven year old female polar bear (with a radio collar) left the coast near Barrow, Alaska and began an epic journey to reach the sea ice—she swam continuously for 9 days, covering a distance of 450 miles, without rest.
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Lesson Plans and Activities
Anthropologist and writer Richard Nelson recorded and produced three programs as part of the Encounters radio series about polar bears. Each can be the focus of a separate class. Alternatively, the three can be taught together in a single unit, in conjunction with other resources on this website.
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