As part as our non-fiction study, we were able to connect live with an animal hospital in South Africa (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds)! We were all so excited to learn about endangered penguins, and what we can do to help them. We were also able to meet a live baby penguin! Our class is hoping to adopt and name two penguins in celebration of Valentine's Day. Our money would be able to help save and take care of penguins. We are so lucky to learn about animals and how we can make a difference!
**Penguins are endangered animals. I learned that penguins eat lots of fish, and the mom finds food while the dad takes care of the eggs. They stay with one mate because they like to take care of their babies together. They live up to 21 years. Penguins have spots on their stomachs. There are 18 species of penguins. It was so much fun to learn about penguins! I hope our class can adopt one! I want to name it Tiana! N.M.
**I learned a lot about penguins today! They can double or triple their swimming speed quickly and launch into the air. Most penguin swim underwater at around four to seven miles per hour, but the fastest penguin can reach top speeds of 22 mph! Penguins are an endangered species.
Penguins eat seafood. Their main diet is fish, though they'll also eat squid, krill and crustaceans. Like most seabirds, penguins tend to be long-lived. They can live up to 21 years!
Penguins waddle and the waddle helps penguins to use much less energy. A penguin's legs are set far back on its body. It's body colors can camouflage to help them from predators.
The penguin I was able to meet today was so adorable! It even answered some of our questions today! Penguins can communicate through body language. I am learning a lot about non-fiction and how to help around the world. A.Y.
**The penguins are very smart and pretty animals. They are cute and fluffy penguins. I love to learn about animals. I hope we can adopt a penguin to help this endangered species. M.J.
**Penguins are fat to keep themselves warm. They take good care of their young. They are smart animals and can communicate through body language. The baby penguin we saw was fun to meet. I wish we could pet it through the screen! J.W.
**Penguins can live from 10-21 years. They fall in love and then they lay eggs. They have feathers, but they can’t fly because they have heavy bones. But the good news is that they have flippers and webbed feet to swim fast. They also do camouflage to keep safe from enemies. Penguins are so cool to learn about! I wish I could have a pet like a penguin (although penguins would not be happy in my home). Thank you to the animal hospital for talking to us today! S.A.
**As penguins grow older, their feathers change and they turn different colors like brown, blue and pink. The pink around their eyes change when they are stressed. I hope people start taking better care of the environment and help save animals. It is very important. The best part of our lesson was meeting the penguin. Maybe I can work with animals when I grow up. S.C.