Bolar Pear

I am taking a class called Population which is the first STEAM class for my sophomore year. In this class, we are currently discussing animal taxonomy which is how we classify animals. We also have discussed some concepts such as Venn diagrams and set theory which is a way to write out the way a thing interacts with a set. So far for this class, we have taken one FE to the Lincoln Park Zoo where we observed our animals. I tried to observe the polar bear but unfortunately, it wasn't outside for me to see so I went to the brown bear to see a similar animal. On top of the polar bear not being outside, the brown bear was asleep. This affected me because I was not able to make observations about how these animals interact with the environment. For this AP, we had to study a certain animal and also research its taxonomy. Then we had to make a piece of art representing our animal and label what makes it the animal it is (spine, aquatic, etc). Below is my research on the polar bear and what I have observed about it along with my comparison to other animals.

For this project, I studied the Ursus maritimus which is also known as a polar bear. This creature lives in many different places such as Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Russia, and Norway. Polar bears are always found in a cold climate which is where they thrive. They have adapted for the cold because they have a thick layer of fat and lots of fur. Polar bears are carnivores which means they eat meat. A polar bear's main food source is ringed seal and bearded seals, but they also eat things like beluga whales, walruses, narwhals and bowhead whales. A polar bear needs to consume 4.5 pounds of food per day to survive.

This is the different Taxonomic levels of a Polar Bear:

Here is a visual of what makes a polar bear a polar bear

This is what my drawing was based on

I'm going to be comparing the Polar Bear to a Fennec Fox and a White-Cheeked Gibbon. I created a Venn diagram to compare the three different animals. You can check out CMs blog for the White-Cheeked Gibbon or RPs blog for the Bald Eagle.

In this Venn Diagram, I am showing what the Polar Bear, Fennec Fox, and White Cheeked Gibbon all have in common, what differences they have and what two of the three have in common (such as a Polar Bear and Fennec Fox). I also show you what none of the animals have in common such as the ability to fly.

Below is the polar bear's relations put in math terms

During this project, I had a great time studying polar bears, going to the zoo and finally drawing out my animal and labeling what makes it a polar bear. My favorite part was making the drawing because it was probably the most personalized piece and I am very proud of it. I also like the set theory because it is a fun challenge to tackle and probably gave me the hardest time to complete. Overall this project was super fun and I learned a lot of things about polar bears and other animals.

Foresman, Scott. “Polar Bear.” Wikipedia, Wikipedia.

DS. Polar Bear. Chicago, 20 Sept. 2017.

DS. Venn Diagram. Chicago, 20 Sept. 2017.

DS. Math Sentences. Chicago, 20 Sept. 2017.

DS. Polar Bear Taxonomic levels. Chicago, 20 Sept. 2017.