Key Ideas
Level 1

• During the Ice Age, many mammals were very large.
• Thick fur and fat helped animals stay warm.
• Ice and glaciers changed the land and where animals could live.
• Many giant animals later went extinct.

Level 2

• Ice Age megafauna included enormous mammals such as mammoths, giant ground sloths, and saber-toothed cats.
• Large body size helped animals conserve heat in cold climates (Bergmann’s Rule).
• Glaciation reshaped ecosystems by changing sea levels, habitats, and migration routes.
• Climate change and human activity contributed to the extinction of many megafauna species.

Schedule

Day One	Day Two	Day Three	Day Four
Main Lesson and/or Story	Spine Reading	Literature Extension	Extension Videos or Books
Hands On Activity	Art Extension		Try something for "Other Activities"
Narration Page or Coloring Page	Notetaking Extension After writing 4–5 key words from a spine, learners draw what those words describe. Then, label or caption the drawing using their words.	ELA: Sentence Expansion	ELA Page: Choose Another One

Hands-On Activity
Blubber & Fur Insulation Experiment

Materials

• Disposable plastic gloves
• Crisco or shortening
• Large bowl or bin
• Ice and cold water
• Optional: thermometer

Timeline Entries
c. 2.6 million–11,700 years ago
Mega Mammals and Ice Age Giants
During the Ice Age, cold climates and expanding glaciers shaped ecosystems across the world. Giant mammals such as mammoths, giant ground sloths, and saber-toothed cats evolved adaptations like thick fur and large bodies to survive. As climates warmed and humans spread, many of these Ice Age giants went extinct.

Discussion Questions
Level 1

1. What kinds of animals lived during the Ice Age?
   Sample answer: Big animals like mammoths, giant sloths, and saber-toothed cats.
2. How did animals stay warm in cold Ice Age weather?
   Sample answer: They had thick fur and lots of fat.
3. What is ice or a glacier?
   Sample answer: Ice that stays frozen for a very long time and can move slowly.
4. Are these giant animals still alive today? Why or why not
   Sample answer: No, they went extinct when the world changed.

Level 2 

1. Why did many Ice Age animals evolve very large body sizes
   Sample answer: Larger bodies lose heat more slowly, helping animals survive cold climates.
2. How did glaciers change ecosystems during the Ice Age
   Sample answer: Glaciers reshaped land, changed water levels, and forced animals to migrate or adapt.
3. What factors likely caused the extinction of Ice Age megafauna?
   Sample answer: Warming climates reduced habitats, and human hunting increased pressure on large animals.
4. Why were large animals more vulnerable to extinction than smaller ones?
   Sample answer: They needed more food, reproduced slowly, and struggled to adapt quickly to change.