Since 2014, Fat Bear Week has grown from a fan favorite into a viral trend. Hosted by Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, the annual event commemorates the seasonal preparations made by Alaska Peninsula brown bears ahead of their winter hibernation.
Organized in partnership by the National Park Service and Explore.org, the competition promotes bear conservation, cultivates an interest in wildlife, and encourages positive human-nature interactions.
Spectators across the country tuned in, including Mrs. Becker’s fifth-grade class at Eshleman Elementary School. Much like the other spectators, Becker’s class filled out individual brackets on who they thought was more likely to move onto the next rounds. They would cast a class vote based on which bear received the majority of the votes.
Prior to the first day of the competition, students received a handout detailing background information and physical characteristics for each bear in the bracket. This guided the students in choosing the bear they wanted to vote for.
Within a few days, the students could easily identify which bear was on the live stream catching salmon simply by matching what they saw on screen to the descriptions in their reading.
Throughout the week, students read articles on bears and answered reflection and comprehension questions. A Katmai National Park ranger joined the class via Zoom for a live Q&A session.
To put their persuasive writing skills to practice, each student designed a personalized campaign poster complete with an original slogan and custom drawing to ensure no two posters were alike.
Throughout the week, Mrs. Becker’s class eagerly looked forward to tuning into the live feed from Alaska while getting to know more about bears, their habitats, characteristics, and traits.