The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Penguin Protectors: Understanding Climate Change, Math, Properties of Water, Conservation of Matter and Teamwork with Penguins

Penguin Protectors: Understanding Climate Change and States of Matter with King Penguins

A K-6 grade STEM lesson

Vicky Manning

6/25/2024

Notes for teachers

Most students are likely familiar with popular films like Happy Feet, Surf’s Up or Penguins of Madagascar, as well as classic books such as Mr. Popper's Penguins. Capitalizing on this familiarity with penguins, this lesson aims to integrate English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Through interactive activities, students will tackle mathematical problems centered on penguins, ice, and energy, analyze maps and environmental data, explore the unique properties of water and conservation of matter, and engage in reading and writing about penguins and climate change. They will recognize how penguin habitats serve as guardians for our own environment, and are examples of teamwork for survival. By drawing inspiration from penguins' cooperative strategies, students will be encouraged to collaborate in addressing real-world challenges.

There are numerous options in this lesson so you can tailor the activities to suit your grade level or specific standards.

List of Materials

• Slide show
• Puzzle
• Learning Stations Guide
• Computer
• Two plastic, clear containers approximately 6x6
• Clay enough to fill each container with 1 to 2 inches of clay
• Ruler
• Water
• salt and any other substances (like sugar, oil, sand, and paraffin) you would like to test
• Student worksheet
• whiteboard or poster board or large paper
• markers/crayons/colored pencils

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ELA Standards

I specifically noted Kindergarten and 5th grade standards, the other grades have similar standards that this lesson addresses.

K.RL.10 With prompting and support, actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

5.RL.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

K.RL.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text

K.W.7 With guidance and support from adults, participate in shared research and writing projects

K.SL.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

5.RI.10 By the end of the year, proficiently and independently read and comprehend informational text, including history/social studies, science and technological texts, in a text complexity range determined by qualitative and quantitative measures appropriate to grade 5.

5.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature. b. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts.

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Science and Math Standards

This lesson covers so many of the Scienc, Math, Social Studies Standards that I will just list a few put you can find more here.

K.CC.B.5 Count to answer questions about “How many?” when 20 or fewer objects are arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1 to 20, count out that many objects.

5.NF.B.6 Solve problems in real-world contexts involving multiplication of fractions, including mixed numbers, by using a variety of representations including equations and models.

5.MD.C.4 Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised units.

1.L2U2.7 Develop and use models about how living things use resources to grow and survive. Design and evaluate habitats for organisms using earth materials.

5.P1U1.1 Analyze and interpret data to explain that matter of any type can be subdivided into particles too small to see and, in a closed system, if properties change or chemical reactions occur, the amount of matter stays the same.

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Objective(s):

I will understand where Antarctica is on a map and the differences between the North and South Poles

I will understand the properties of water and it’s thermal expansion

I will understand density

I will understand the conservation of matter

I will understand addition and subtraction and use it to put together a puzzle and to measure water.

I will understand Penguins habitats

I will understand the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change

I will understand what is driving climate change

I will understand what I can do to protect my habitat.

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Agenda (lesson time)

1. (10-15 minutes) Attention grabber. Slideshow and discussion.
2. (50-75 minutes) Stations either 10 or 15 minutes rotating to each station.
3. (60 minutes) Lab
4. (30-60 minutes) Writing
5. (60 minutes) Presentations

This lesson is highly versatile and can be adjusted to fit any length of time. I will provide a general timeline, but feel free to adapt it to suit your specific needs and schedule.

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

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Go through the slideshow before the driving question. Ask what all of the images have in common. Then show them one of the below quotes taken from this article and ask them what it means. I have the same idea written for different grades:

Penguin populations can reflect the health of the oceans, acting as sentinels and providing important information about changing ecosystems.

Penguin populations act as sentinels and provide important information about changing ecosystems.

Penguins health equals oceans health

Think/Pair/Share: What does this quote mean? What does it have to do with the slide show? What do you know about Penguins.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Visit these stations before starting the lab and research/writing project to gain a deeper understanding of penguins and greenhouse gases.

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Stations:

1. Life Size Puzzle
2. King Penguin Trivia Game
3. Graphing and Mapping Sea Ice
4. NASA Big Questions
5. Greenhouse Gasses Card Game
6. Properties of Water and Conservation of Matter

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Here is an explanation of each station with lots of options for different grade levels.

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Sea Ice Lab

1. Show this video:

NASA’S Earth Minute: Sea Level Rise

1. Demo bring a match to a balloon full of air and full of water. As seen in this video start at 1:15. Use this demo to explain the properties of water and thermal expansion. Explain how water can absorb heat better than air.
2. Explain the conservation of matter and how we will be looking for that in our lab
3. There are a couple different examples of this lab I will link them below:

JPL Lab

KELP Scroll down to Sea Level Rise Activity

Lacey Merritt’s lab and Student Handout

Cody Yeakel's lab

1. To simplify the lab use station 6 (previous slide). Provide students with a variety of substances (like sugar, oil, sand, and paraffin) to mix with the water and observe which dissolves and which does not also change the tiemperature of the water.

Graffitti Wall

Read and Annotate:

• Have students read and annotate the article about how penguins' health reflects the health of our oceans. Encourage them to highlight key points, write questions, and note any connections to climate change. Or you can read it to them and have a class discussion.

Watch Video or Read book

• Have students watch a video about penguins and teamwork. Discuss how penguins collaborate for survival and the parallels to human efforts in tackling climate change.

Create Graffiti Wall:

• Divide students into groups.
• Provide each group with large sheets of paper and markers or a whiteboard.
• Have each group create a graffiti wall that explains how teamwork is essential in solving climate change. They should include what they can do as individuals and as a group or society to stop the oceans from warming up and save the penguins.

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Assessment

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• After the graffiti wall is complete, have a gallery walk where students can view each other's work.
• Facilitate a class discussion on the importance of teamwork in addressing climate change and how we can apply the lessons learned from penguins to our efforts.
• Have them write a letter either to themselves, to their state representative, or to their parents explaining your concern about climate change and urging them to act.
• The next slide gives an example rubric for assessment.

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Differentiation

Show them a graffiti wall already completed and have them make their own.

Give them writing prompt that they finish.

Reduce the number of stations they visit and extend the time.

Instead of reading have them watch this video.

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Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Encourage them to get involved and help biologist track Penguins below is the website explaining how they can contribute.

You can be a penguin detective and contribute directly to MAPPPD

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