Hello students! In this activity we are going to read a text about Groundhog Day. After reading the text you will answer the comprehension questions that you can find here.
On February 2, everyone has their eyes on the groundhog. On this day, legend has it that the groundhog wakes up from its hibernation, peeks out of its burrow, and checks out the weather.
Why February 2? That's because February 2 is exactly half way between winter and spring.
If the groundhog peeks from its hole and it is sunny, it will see its shadow and be frightened. It will then go right back to sleep for 6 more weeks of winter weather.
If the sky is cloudy and the groundhog does not see its shadow, it will not be frightened and will not want to sleep for much longer. This is a sign that spring weather will come soon.
The idea for Groundhog Day came from Germany where farmers would watch the weather on "Candlemas Day" (February 2) thinking that the weather on that day would tell them when they could begin planting. A Candlemas song says that if the weather is sunny, winter will be long, and if it is cloudy, spring will arrive soon. The Germans brought this tradition to America in the late 1800's.
Are the groundhogs right? It turns out that they're right only about half the time. Still, everyone watches the sky on February 2 and celebrates this fun legend.
