Penguin Science Penguins Marching Through Your Classroom
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Welcome to the Penguin Science Education Page! Here you will find fun and educational activities to help students learn about Adelie Penguin life, history and their relationship to climate change. Students can check the nests of penguins as they raise the chicks (from Nov-Jan), receive a postcard from Antarctica, or send us a flag to fly! Adelie Penguins exist only in Antarctica. The average day in the life of a penguin is filled with adventure and drama, as they struggle to live and thrive in a challenging environment and changing climate of Antarctica. Explore the many activities below. Check out the Gallery of Pictures, the yearly Journal and test your skills at answering the Reflections from the Field. Go to the Did You Know section to find out how we know what we know. |
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If you have any questions about the activities below please contact me: jean.pennycook@gmail.com |
New. Check out the new book "Waiting For Joey." Written for young readers, grade 4-7 it follows the perilous life of Joey the penguin as he grows up in the Ross Sea, finds a mate and raises his own chicks at Cape Royds. Full of interesting facts about Adelie pengiuns, Antarcrtica and what we are learning from a decade of research. Click HERE to read more about this fun story. Click HERE to see what Joey is doing now (Starts Nov 10, 2018) |
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NEW ! Help Us Count Weddell Seals in Antarctica. The penguin team has an exciting new project. We are using satellites to count Weddell seals around the entire continent of Antarctica. This has never been done before. The scientists need your help to search the images and count the seals. It is easy, all you have to do is click on the seals in the image, and the computer does the rest. There are thousands of images. If you can only do a few, that is a big help. Run through the short tutorial and get started. You can create an account or just start counting. HERE is the website with the project, it is up now and active through spring 2019. I hope you will help us with this exciting and important science. |
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Help us Count Penguins |
Citizen Science Project - Not available at this time
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How do we know what we know? |
Did you ever wonder where the penguins go in the winter? We know they do not stay in their breeding colonies on Ross Island. From April to August it is totally dark and the sea ice is frozen solid. They can not see in the dark and need access to the open water for food. Our team is beginning to unravel this mystery. Click HERE to learn what we have discovered. |
Daily pictures and stories |
NEW stories every day. The 2018-19 Adelie Penguin breeding season will begin Nov 1, 2018. We will have a new story everyday about penguins, life in Antarctica and our research. You can read the archived stories for 2016 and 2017 by clicking HERE. You can see archived pictures from 2012 -2016 HERE |
Watch 10 penguin familes as they raise their chicks. Daily pictures |
Nov to Jan is the breeding season for Adelie Penguins at Cape Royds on Ross Island, Antarctica. Follow along as researchers post daily pictures of penguin families brooding, hatching, guarding and fledging their chicks. Daily pictures start Nov 12,2018, and will run through Jan 17, 2019. Click HERE for the 2018-19 nests. Adopt your favorite penguin pair and keep a field journal of their breeding activities. The 2018-19 season will begin Nov 12, 2018. Click HERE to see archived weather data, HERE to see archived pictures from the penguin families during the 2011, 2012, 3013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Nest Check seasons. |
Receive a postcard from Antarctica |
Your students can receive a postcards from Antarctica. Have your students design a penguin postcard, self address and stamp it, then mail them as a class in a single envelope to us after Sept 20, 2018 and before Dec 31, 2018 and they will be returned with the unique "Antarctica" postmark. Check out the flyer for details. Go HERE to see postcards sent to us from children all over the country. |
Make a flag to fly in front of the penguins. |
Design a flag to fly at the penguin breeding colony at Cape Royds research station in Antarctica. Check out the instructions HERE. They must be sent after Sept 20, 2018 and before Dec 15, 2018. Check out the flyer for details. Go HERE to see flags from schools all over the country that have flown in Antarctica. |
Teach your class about penguins and Antarcitca. |
Powerpoint presentations for your classroom. These classroom ready presentations were prepared for students in grade 4-8. Select from several topics. Slides include teaching notes and can be modified for other grades |
How do these birds survive in this harsh environment? |
Penguin Adaptations to Antarctica How do these amazing birds cope with the harsh environment of Antarctica? These close up pictures will show the many adaptations which allow Adelie Penguins to live and breed in the coldest environment on Earth. |
Got Questions? |
Do you have questions about Adelie Penguins? Search this list of previously asked questions by students and adults from all over the world. Your question not there? Use the form at the bottom of the page to submit your unique question. |
How do we know what we know? |
How do We Know What We Know About Penguins Interesting facts about Adelie Penguins and how we know what we know. How do scientists work, what instruments do they use and how do they discover the answer to their questions? |
Try you skill at these observations |
Here is your chance to be a penguin research scientist. Study these pictures and come up with your own ideas of why these birds do what they do. Write us with your ideas. |
Lots of fun pictures |
Browse many topics of interest including Adelie Penguins, Emperor Penguins, Antarctic Landscapes, Antarctic Wildlife. |
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Find the definition of penguin related word here. |
Find a book on penguins here |
Penguin Books |
Have fun learning about penguins and Antarcrtica |
Activities for your classroom gr 3-7. Penguins, seals, climate change. |
Many links and resources about Polar topics |
Polar Resources for Educators |
If you would like to learn more about the other speices of penguins around the world click here to go the International Penguin Conservation Work Group
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