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Groundhog's Day

The name of the "official" groundhog for the U.S. is Punxsutawney Phil. He's the rodent to see if you're anxious for the arrival of spring. Visit these internet sites and complete the activities for each one to learn more about Punxsutawney Phil and his other marmot friends.

Groundhog.org
http://www.groundhog.org/

This is the official Groundhog's Day site! From this site, you can see the actual emergence of Phil the groundhog live on the internet on February 2nd.

Groundhog Day is based on the traditions of Candlemas Day which was an early Christian event in Europe. The clergy (religious leaders) would bless candles and distribute them to people on February 2nd of each year. This was a time when winter was almost over, and the weather on February 2nd was always an important issue. An old English verse claimed that:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, winter, have another flight
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go, winter, and come not again.
Candlemas Day is a religious day
The German people further added to the weather issue by claiming that if it was sunny on Candlemas Day, then a hedgehog would come out of its burrow and cast a shadow which would mean that there would be 6 more weeks of winter.

  1. From the main page of this site, choose "History". Explain how this European tradition showed up in early American Pennsylvania.

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
http://users.penn.com/~mweimer/

  1. How far is Punxsutawney from Pittsburg, Pennsylvannia?
  2. How far is Punxsutawney from Buffalo, New York?
  3. What is the terrain (countryside) like in Punxsutawney?
  4. What famous NBA coach once coached basketball at Punxsutawney High School?

CNN Weather
http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/ne/PA/PunxsutawneyN35.html

  1. In Fahrenheit, what are the high and low temperatures for today in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and what are the current conditions?
  2. By comparison, what are the high and low temperatures and current conditions for Salt Lake City, Utah, for Beijing, China, for Panama City, Panama, and for Casablanca, Morocco?

Groundhog Day
http://wilstar.com/holidays/grndhog.htm

  1. What other animals have been used to predict the weather?

The Marmot Burrow
http://www.marmotburrow.ucla.edu

  1. Groundhogs are also called woodchucks. Woodchucks are one of fourteen species of what kind of animal?

Groundhog.Com
http://www.groundhogs.com/haha/groundhog_links.htm

  1. From the main page of this site, choose "Facts About Groundhogs". Besides woodchuck, what is another name for a groundhog?
  2. Where in the world can groundhogs be found?
  3. Why do groundhogs eat so much in the summertime?

Groundhog Day Facts and Factoids
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/96/2.1.96/facts.html

  1. What other cute little animals are groundhogs closely related to?
  2. How is February 2nd a cross-quarter day?
  3. What wakes groundhogs up from hibernation?
  4. Why will you probably never see someone wearing a groundhog fur coat?
  5. What are groundhog hairs sometimes used for?
  6. What did some Native Americans use groundhog hides for?
  7. In what month do groundhogs usually reach their heaviest weight? In what month do they usually start hibernating? By February, about how much of their body weight have groundhogs lost?
  8. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Phil's Photos 
http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com/photos/aroundtown/0100.ep.html

  1. You see this giant statue of Punxsutawaney Phil as you enter Punxsutawney, Pennsylvannia. Think of a giant statue that could represent Salt Lake City and write a short paragraph explaining your choice. (A giant brine shrimp??)

Phil's Photos
http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com/photos/crowd/0062.shtml

  1. No wonder Phil wakes up on February 2nd! Could you sleep with all those people hanging around your bedroom? Write a short story from Phil's point of view about all the commotion on February 2nd.

Punxsutawney has competitors! Visit these other groundhog sites. List each groundhog's name and where it lives. Which groundhog do you think is the most handsome?