STANDARDS
CCSS: 6.EE.A.2.C, 7.EE.B.3, MP1, MP6
TEKS: 6.3D, 6.7D, 7.3A, 7.3B
By the Numbers: Polar Bears
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Polar bears are the most iconic animal of the Arctic. But their warming home is under major threat. As sea ice melts due to climate change, it becomes harder and harder for the bears to hunt—and survive. That’s why the group Polar Bears International created International Polar Bear Day, celebrated on February 27. It’s a day of action to protect polar bears by advocating for climate-friendly policies around the world.
Read on to learn more about polar bears. Then plug in the numbers into the equation below to reveal a final fact.
10
Sylvain Cordier/Getty Images
Height, in feet, an adult male polar bear might reach when standing on its hind legs
2/3
Jim McMahon/Mapman ®
Fraction of the world’s total population of polar bears that live in Canada
5
Number of countries, called “polar bear nations,” where polar bears live: Canada, Denmark, Norway, United States, and Russia
426
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Distance, in miles, of the longest polar bear swim ever recorded. A female bear swam for nine days!
31,000
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Estimated total global population of polar bears
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