When we got back from winter break, we started studying all about penguins! We started by talking about non-fiction books and the tools that are available for us to find information in them. After reading several non-fiction books about penguins, we started our research project. Students were paired with another student and began researching a species of penguin. Pairs were in charge of finding three interesting facts, what their penguin eats, who their penguin's predators are, where their penguin lives, and what their penguin looks like. Students then took that information and wrote a research report on their own. They then worked with their partner to create a Chatterpix presentation giving information about their penguin. After all our information was gathered, students were challenged to create a life-size penguin with butcher paper. The students did a great job!! We just started watching each other's presentations and writing down the facts we learn about different species of penguins.
We have also been reading Mr. Popper's Penguins together. During reading rounds, some of the students read Magic Tree House: Eve of the Emperor Penguin. After finishing Eve of the Emperor Penguin, we started reading the nonfiction companion book called Penguins and Antarctica.
This has been a fun and hands on month! We have even had a few classmates share their knowledge of penguins with the rest of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during our morning assembly. We also had the opportunity to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day on Wednesday, January 20th! All three third grade teachers worked together and created stations that helped us learn more facts about penguins. In one room, students watched videos from National Geographic Kids that gave information about penguins. They were also able to eat a penguin snack! In another room, students pretended that they were Emperor penguins and reenacted carrying an "egg" on their feet. They also practiced passing and "egg" with their "flippers". In the last room, students talked about adaptations that penguins have to keep them warm. They put one hand in ice water and another hand in a bag with "blubber" and then in ice water. Students also learned about the oil sac that penguins use to put oil on their feathers to make them waterproof.
We have a great, fun, and learning filled January! Take a look at our life-sized penguins, our penguin reports, some pictures from our penguin awareness day, and our chatterpix presentations!
We have also been reading Mr. Popper's Penguins together. During reading rounds, some of the students read Magic Tree House: Eve of the Emperor Penguin. After finishing Eve of the Emperor Penguin, we started reading the nonfiction companion book called Penguins and Antarctica.
This has been a fun and hands on month! We have even had a few classmates share their knowledge of penguins with the rest of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during our morning assembly. We also had the opportunity to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day on Wednesday, January 20th! All three third grade teachers worked together and created stations that helped us learn more facts about penguins. In one room, students watched videos from National Geographic Kids that gave information about penguins. They were also able to eat a penguin snack! In another room, students pretended that they were Emperor penguins and reenacted carrying an "egg" on their feet. They also practiced passing and "egg" with their "flippers". In the last room, students talked about adaptations that penguins have to keep them warm. They put one hand in ice water and another hand in a bag with "blubber" and then in ice water. Students also learned about the oil sac that penguins use to put oil on their feathers to make them waterproof.
We have a great, fun, and learning filled January! Take a look at our life-sized penguins, our penguin reports, some pictures from our penguin awareness day, and our chatterpix presentations!