Whats the Weather Report?
Attention is focused upon the weather on Groundhog Day. If it’s a cloudy day, the groundhog will not see his shadow when he crawls out of his burrow, and that means there will be an early spring. However, if it’s a sunny day and the groundhog sees his shadow, it will be frightened into retreating into its burrow for another six weeks of winter weather. Have students be weather reporters on Groundhog Day and be sure to listen to reports, and bring in newspaper clippings the next day. Punxsutawney Phil, of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is one of the official groundhog weather predictors. In other parts of the country, people do note the behavior of other animals such as hedgehogs and badgers. In Europe, people watch the behavior of bears and badgers too.
