Growing Penguins
Learning Objectives/Lesson GoalsStudents will learn what camouflage is and how an animal adapts to its changing environments in order to survive.
WHEREHallway
WHOClassroom Volunteers
MATERIALS
  • Photos and descriptions - (below)

  • Timeline (this can drawn on a whiteboard, made with yarn, paper, etc.)

  • Magenetic or tackable surface to attach and build the timeline with the children

  • Clay representation of 1 day old Adelié penguin chick and a 2 month old chick (this can also be made with another material such as rice)
ACTIVITIES
  1. Begin a discussion about how penguins grow and develop. Ask them what they already know. You might prompt them to think about what they know about how other birds grow and develop (the beginning of the life cycle).

  2. Tell them that they are going to learn about the early lives of Adelié penguins. Start by passing around the actual size of the Adelie penguin (clay) 100 grams. Tell them that this clay represents an Adelié penguin just after it is hatched.

  3. Tell them they are going to work together to construct a timeline of the first 2 months of an Adelié penguin’s life to learn about the adaptations that help them survive the cold Antarctic environment.

  4. Distribute the picture cards.. Ask students to take a look at their cards. Let them know that their cards probably won’t match one another.

  5. Read Days on Timeline and description aloud. Help as needed. Ask who has the picture that matches the description card. Have them hold up the picture and confirm that they match. Have the students put the cards up on the board.

  6. Repeat the process of matching the pictures until you have gotten through the timeline. Be sure to pause and engage the students in a discussion about what it says on the cards. You might discuss similarities and differences in the development of Adelié penguins and other animals (other birds, humans, etc.) remarkable details, other things they notice, etc.. You might also make connections regarding the amount of time. For example, the penguin has already changed in XYZ ways and it’s only been _____ days which is the same number of days it would take you to ________.

  7. Review when the timeline is complete. Ask students if they see anything they wish to correct.

Possible extensions:
  • Place Penguins on World Calendar where they live/habitat

  • Read Penguin books with Penguin friends on carpet squares

  • Work on Penguin pages in Oceans 411 Booklet


RESOURCESPhotos - located here

Growing Penguins Descriptions
Day 0 - (2 months after the egg was laid)
This egg has started to hatch!
Do you see the crack in the shell?
It will take about twenty minutes for the tiny Adelie penguin to break out of this shell.
Day 1
The first Adelie chick of the season has hatched. Do you see how tiny it is next to its parent? The chick has only downy black feathers which are no match against the cold Antarctic winds so it will spend a few weeks under its parents keeping warm.
Day 8
These two chicks have almost doubled in size. They are snuggled up together and are having trouble fitting in the parent's incubation pouch which is their only defense against the cold. They cannot stand on their own or walk yet
Day 14
This chick is two weeks old and can stand on its own! Only one chick at a time can now fit within the parent’s incubation pouch, so this chick is stuck outside while the other is under its parent. Soon both parents will be foraging for food to meet the demands of these chicks, and they will be left alone!
Day 20
These chicks are getting large, but still have their downy grey feathers. When they stretch their beaks up high, like the one on the right, they are nearly as tall as the parents! They need a huge amount of food to grow this fast. At this point they are big enough to fend off attacks by birds of prey called Skuas, although some Skuas will attack them anyway.
Day 26
These four chicks huddle to stay warm. The huddle is called a crèche. Staying in a crèche also protects them from birds called Skuas when their parents are away looking for food. Today it is particularly cold and windy, so the chicks have packed themselves closely and shove each other to get towards the middle where it is warmer.
Day 29
The wings of this Adelie penguin have grown so long that they touch the ground when he is standing. Soon his body will grow into that wing. The chick in the right picture isn't dead; it's sleeping. He's just tired from all the eating and growing. The chicks spend much of their time sleeping.
5 ½ weeks
These two Adelie penguins are about in the awkward stage between a chick and an adult. They are shedding the grey downy feathers that they had as chicks and growing the sturdy waterproof feathers that they will need as adults. Some have started in the front, some have started on their backs, Some start around their heads, and other on their wings.
8 weeks
Now it is time for the Adelie chicks to test the strength of their wings in the water. The waves catch the chicks and carry them out to sea. Sometimes the chicks come swimming back, not quite ready to take the plunge; others do not return. They have made the transition to adulthood and swim out to sea.

NGSSLife Science
LS1.A Structure and function
LS1.B Growth and development of organisms
LS2.D Social interactions and group behavior
LS4.C Adaptation