Penguin Species

1. Read about the 17 species of penguins. Find out about their distinctive markings, sizes, markings, body shapes, and nesting patterns, as well as the weather and geography of their native locations. Make a chart showing this information using Crayola Colored Pencils.
2. To make the penguins: Work in pairs, as buddies with an older and younger child, or individually to model one penguin species using Crayola Model Magic. Design them so that all species are in scale with each other. Dry overnight.
3. Cover the work area with recycled newspaper. With Crayola Washable Watercolors Watercolor Brushes, paint each species to show its distinctive markings and forms. Dry overnight.
4. To create the Where Do the Penguins Live? game: On a large, round paper or tablecloth, draw a round map of the Southern Hemisphere with Crayola Washable Markers. Place penguins on the map.
5. Write the penguin species' names on index cards with markers or colored pencils. Make up your own game rules, or start with these: Shuffle the cards. For four players, deal three cards to each. If a player correctly identifies a penguin species, remove the model from the map, and take another turn. If the species is incorrectly identified, the index card is returned to the pile and the turn is over. The object is for players to collect as many penguin models as possible.

LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grade level text complexity band independently and proficiently.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

MATH: Generate measurement data by measuring lengths of several objects to the nearest whole unit, or by making repeated measurements of the same object. Show the measurements by making a line plot, where the units.

SCI: Observe and compare the many kinds of living things that are found in different areas.

SCI: Analyze a representation of a particular habitat showing the locations and shapes of both land and water features of that habitat and communicate how the land and water support animals and plants.

SS: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Possible classroom resources include: Penguins by Liz Pichon; National Geographic Readers: Penguins! by Anne Schreiber; Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham; Penguins: Smithsonian by Seymour Simon; Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra

When creating the penguin games, students include information in addition to species names for players to match.

Students teams write directions and rules for players to follow when playing their original game. Keep copies of these in the box that houses the game cards.

Organize a field trip to a local zoo that has a penguin exhibit. Prior to the trip, students brainstorm questions that they will seek answers to while on the trip. After the visit, students post learning to a class blog.