Penguins in the News…

The students at Ashland Montessori School have been learning about penguins!  Parts of a Penguin is one of the works on the science shelf as is a “time line” egg hatches, chick has down, chick grows & gets feathers, penguin dives for food. On a recent Thursday afternoon the children made igloos (with sugar cubes and butter cream icing for “glue.”)  The Monday, Wednesday, Friday afternoon group is listening to a chapter book – Mr. Popper’s Penguins – by Richard and Florence Atwater. The children are doing well listening to a book with no illustrations! We finished chapter seventeen today. By next Monday we will finish the book!

There are Polar Regions works in Geography. We now know that penguins live in the southern polar region and polar bears in the northern polar region. We even have a child – sized tent that looks like an igloo. It has a basket of books (about penguins) in it. Two people at a time may be in the tent to look at books.

Mrs. Howe brought in a pair of oven mitts (the layer of blubber that keeps penguins warm) and a big zip lock  bag (the oily feathers that keep penguins dry.) She had the children sip ice water (it was VERY cold.) Then each child had the opportunity to slip their hand into the oven mitt, inside the plastic bag, and submerge their hand into ice-y water. Every hand came out warm  and dry!

Some facts your student might share are:  Penguins eat fish. Emperor penguins can grow as tall as a six-year-old child. Penguins flop on their bellies and slide. Dad takes care of the egg, while Mom goes out for food. Killer whales and seals eat penguins. Penguins have a layer of blubber that keeps them warm. Penguins do not fly but are excellent swimmers and divers. Quite possibly more than you’ve ever wanted to know about penguins, but the children have had fun! What could be better than learning AND having fun?