Thematic Thursday: Penguins

I'm linking up with Comprehension Connection for Thematic Thursday and this week's topic is Penguins!

We are knee deep in our penguin unit right now and the kids just can't get enough. There's something about January that makes it a perfect month to study these adorable creatures. Just do a TpT or Pinterest search for penguins and you'll find a treasure trove of resources to teach a great cross curricular unit. Here are some of my favorites:

I've collected both nonfiction and fiction books from my library and have many engaging and meaningful activities planned. I love Gail Gibbons' books for teaching science concepts because they are packed with great information. You could literally spend a week reading her one of her books in depth. I also love National Geographic and Scholastic Discover More because they feature fantastic photographs and easy to read information. For fiction, I love to read Antarctic Antics, which is a book of poems that are pretty fun. The kids also enjoy all the Tacky books, The Emperor's Egg and Where is Home, Little Pip?.

We have been using Amy Lemons' penguin unit called Waddle With Me, which is packed with fun craftivities, tons of vocabulary, research and writing activities.

I found so many things, I started a Penguins Pinterest board, which you can check out here.

We also are in the middle of doing a Penguin Web Quest, which the students love because they get to scan QR codes and answer specific questions at each station. I also made a FREEBIE page of QR codes that link to websites and a page that links to videos about penguins for further research. 

One of the most fun things to do when we have a few minutes to spare is to turn on the Sea World penguin cam. 

You can even change the camera view to shallow or deep water and see the penguins shoot through the water. I also love these other penguin videos:

I hope you find some great resources! Go back to Comprehension Connection for more fab penguin teaching ideas.