Penguins are cute, no doubt about it. They are also flightless aquatic birds which makes them pretty unique as an animal species. And while most people picture them living in the coldest areas on the planet, they live in the southern hemisphere and there are many species live in warm climates.
Instead of wings, penguins have flippers. They eat krill, fish, and squid and spend almost half of their life in the water. There are many different penguin species. Experts actually disagree on the number of living species. It is somewhere between 17 and 20.
The Emperor Penguin is the largest and usually weighs around 75 pounds. That might be heavier than some of your students! The smallest penguin is the Fairy Penguin and this little guy weighs just over two pounds.
Teaching Your Young Students About Penguins
Children of all ages love to learn about animals and the penguin is a unique animal. It's a wonderful way to discuss biodiversity and to teach your children about animal habitats. Teacher Planet has some truly fun resources for teaching about Penguins. You can find clip art to display in your classroom. Your children will no doubt enjoy the worksheets and printables too. And of course you can take advantage of the lesson plans and penguin teaching resources.
