Science Experiments with Penguins

We have been researching penguins for about a month now and the kids are truly AMAZING me with how interested they are in their new learnings!

Here they are buddied up recording their new learnings on sticky notes!

Jade with her awesome new learning...

 

We learned that penguins have two layers of feathers to keep them warm. The outside layer of feathers is coated in oil to help keep out the icy cold water! I asked the kiddos to infer what would happen if we mixed the two liquids. They were not expecting the oil to sit on top of the water! We mixed oil and water in a ziploc bag, drew our observations and then shook the bag up to see if that would help the liquids mix!





Logan AMAZED that the oil stayed on top of the water!

Trey and Kyla checking out their bag of coolness!

In their science journals they recorded what they learned about oil and water, and how what they learned today affects penguin survival in Antarctica!

 

Blubber Gloves

 

We also learned that penguins have a layer of blubber under their feathers that helps keep them warm while sliding around on the ice! 

I filled buckets with ice and a smidge of water for each table. They had one hand in the blubber glove and one hand naked in the ice water! They learned quickly the vitality of blubber in the Antarctic!

 

  The girls wanted to see what would happen to the ice if they burried it in the sand...it melted :)

 Next week we will be learning about the Arctic! Stay tuned to see how different The Polar regions are!

Penguins

Our class has been studying Penguins this month! We have had an absolute blast! I started out by introducing the Schema File Folder originally inspired by the fabulous Debbie Miller in her book Teaching with Intentions (This is actually who I have named my blog after). We charted all of our schema about penguins. The kids actually know a lot of facts already! Then we read Penguins by Anne Schrieber together and I modeled how to record a "new learning"  on a sticky note. We added these to our mental file folder and our chart! All week long I let the kids buddy up and research penguins on their own! They have blown me away with how well they are staying on task and digging deep without me!




We also read Pierre the Penguin and have been watching the live penguin feedings at African Hall everyday at 1:30 our time! The kids have loved this! It is an excellent resource too because the biologist talks about the penguins as she is feeding them! Click here for the link-> http://www.calacademy.org/webcams/penguins/

In our classroom we have 6 different life size penguins on our wall of Antarctica. Mrs. Davidson came in last week to measure the kids and see how tall they are compared to the largest of the penguins...the Emperor penguin! Most of the kiddos are about the same size!

 

 

We learned that the Emperor penguin is about the same size as a 7 year old child...yup!

 

 

Here is our class in Antarctica!

 

Stay tuned for more penguin activities!!