Polar Bear Story

This is a fun story that is loved by all children!  After reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. I like to tell the story of the Magic Polar Bear.

Materials Needed:
1. Bear shaped plastic bottle (the type that honey comes in)
2. Bleach
3. Food coloring: yellow, blue, and red.

 
Teacher Prep- Fill the bear jar with water. Do NOT let the children see the food coloring and bleach.  

Once upon a time there was a beautiful white polar bear who often visited the St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. Now on this island, you find a little schoolhouse filled with many boys and girls and their beloved teacher, Ms. Andrews. It seems as though a neighboring child from Siberia ventured across the Bering Strait to St. Lawrence Island. Her name was Tatiana, and she had beautiful golden hair. As she explored the island, she soon met Mr. Polar Bear. As the children watched out the windows of the schoolhouse, the bear wished that he had golden hair like Tatiana's. He shut his eyes tightly and wished very hard for golden hair. Now will you just shut your eyes for a moment and help Mr. Polar Bear make his wish? ( put 2 drops of yellow food coloring in bear bottle)

Now you may open your eyes! AMAZING! a blond polar bear- Oh, my goodness! Do you know what the children shouted out the windows of the schoolhouse? Do you think they liked a BLOND polar bear?
(get children to slap, slap, clap, clap, and snap and say:)

POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR
YOU ARE A SIGHT!
YOUR COLOR WAS RIGHT
WHEN YOU WERE WHITE!

Mr. Polar Bear was VERY SAD! He thought the children would like his new golden color! He climbed on an iceberg and began to think about his problem. Now, as Mr. Polar Bear rested, he caught a new scent in the air. What did he smell? As he raised his head and looked around, he saw a young boy coming closer. Chad was from the GREEN forests of Canada. He wore a green hat, a green sweater, green pants, and green boots. Guess what he had in his pocket? Chad had a GREEN lollipop! Mr. Polar Bear thought GREEN must be the most beautiful color in the world! Maybe he should be a green bear. He shut his eyes and began to wish he was green. Can you help Mr. Polar Bear make his wish come true? Now shut your eyes for a moment and help Mr. Polar Bear make his wish? (put 2 drops of blue in) Now he was a GREEN polar bear!! But the children said:

(get children to slap, slap, clap, clap, and snap and say:)

POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR
YOU ARE A SIGHT!
YOUR COLOR WAS RIGHT
WHEN YOU WERE WHITE!

Now this made Mr. Polar Bear feel REALLY BAD. He pouted and pouted. Mr. Polar Bear began to walk across the snow. As he topped a big snow drift, he met COUSIN BROWN BEAR from Kodiak Island. Cousin Brown Bear had followed the path of green tears that came from polar bear. The two bears had a nice, long visit and before long, Mr. Polar Bear began to admire his SMART COUSIN. The Kodiak Bear is the world's largest bear. Mr. Polar Bear thinks maybe the children would like him if he were brown instead. Let's shut our eyes and wish with Mr. Polar Bear. ( add 2 drops of red)

Now he was a BROWN polar bear!! But the children said:

(get children to slap, slap, clap, clap, and snap and say:)

POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR
YOU ARE A SIGHT!
YOUR COLOR WAS RIGHT
WHEN YOU WERE WHITE!

Mr. Polar Bear felt SO BAD, he ran away from the children and dove in the ice cold waters of the Bering Sea. Polar bears are the best swimmers of all bears. His thick, heavy fur was now BROWN and looked quite strange as the children of Gambel watched him swim DEEP, DEEP, DEEP into the sea. Now, if you will just shut your eyes and think about Mr. Polar Bear swimming around under the cold, cold water, a tiny bit of Alaska magic might happen. ( add bleach to the water, while their eyes are closed, continue to talk about polar bear swimming while the bleach takes effect)

Mr. Polar Bear swam up, up, up, up, to the surface and guess what!

(get children to slap, slap, clap, clap, and snap and say:)

POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR
Your color IS right!
WE LOVE YOU!
WE LOVE YOU!
YOU ARE WHITE!

Mr. Polar Bear decided NEVER to change his color again. After all, Polar Bears are supposed to be WHITE, RIGHT?
The End

After telling the story, discuss the observations the children made throughout the story. Consider letting them mix tempera paints on a paper plate.

HINT: Do this activity at home before presenting to the class to determine how much bleach to use in your plastic bottle.

Polar Bear Puppet

Click on the polar bear for a link to make a Polar Bear Puppet.         

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