Penguin Colony Connections

Overview

In this fifth lesson of Penguins of Antarctica Adventure, students explore how penguins interact during breeding and hunting. Through movement and role-play, they show how calls, huddling, grouping, chick care and cooperative hunting help penguins live in Antarctica.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe some ways penguins behave in groups.
• WALT explain how penguin behaviours help them survive.
• WALT use movement, sound and simple words to communicate a penguin behaviour.
• WALT take turns and work respectfully in a role-play group.

Success criteria

• I can name or show at least two penguin social behaviours.
• I can explain how one behaviour helps penguins.
• I can work safely and cooperatively as part of a penguin colony.
• I can listen to another group and identify its penguin behaviour.

Curriculum links

• Geography — describing places: physical and human features, including landscapes and features of Antarctica.
• Geography — describing places: differences in the appearance of places around the world, including Antarctica.
• Geography — spatial tools and language: using simple visual representations to communicate ideas about places.
• Te Mātaiaho capabilities: relating to others, participating and contributing, and communicating ideas.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and recall. Open with the penguin hook image and question: “Why might penguins need to stay close together?” Show an image of a penguin colony and briefly revisit the previous learning about Antarctica’s cold, windy environment. Students turn and talk, then share one idea.

2. 4–9 min · Teach key behaviours. Use the behaviour picture slides to introduce five behaviours: calling to find a mate or chick, huddling for warmth, guarding or feeding a chick, greeting a partner, and moving together to hunt. Explain that penguins are social animals, but behaviours can vary between penguin species. Students copy a simple movement or sound for each behaviour.

3. 9–12 min · Model the role-play. Display the role-play instructions and success criteria. Model a safe, silent “huddle”: stand close without pushing, make space for others, and move when the teacher signals. Demonstrate a call-and-response, a chick-care action and a group journey to the “sea”. Students practise the stop signal and identify what makes a role-play respectful and safe.

4. 12–22 min · Penguin colony role-play. Place students in four groups of five. Give each group a behaviour to act out: huddling, finding a partner or chick by calling, caring for a chick, or travelling together to hunt. Groups use the penguin behaviour planning sheet to draw their behaviour, choose a movement or sound, and complete the sentence “This helps penguins because …”. Allow approximately three minutes to plan and one minute for each group to perform. The audience watches quietly and guesses the behaviour after each performance.

5. 22–27 min · Discuss and connect. Return to the discussion prompts. Ask: “Which behaviours helped penguins stay warm?” “Which helped penguins find or care for family?” and “Why might travelling together be useful when hunting?” Students use a sentence starter such as “I noticed …” or “This helps because …”. Clarify that penguins hunt in the ocean for food and return to land or ice to breed and care for chicks.

6. 27–30 min · Exit check. Students complete the final box on the penguin behaviour planning sheet by drawing one behaviour and telling a partner how it helps. Invite two students to share. Collect sheets to identify who can connect a behaviour with its purpose.

Resources

• the penguin social behaviour slide deck
• the penguin behaviour planning sheet
• Image of a penguin colony, if not included in the slides
• Open floor space
• Board and marker
• Optional penguin sound recording
• Timer or chime

Assessment

• Listen during the hook and discussion for accurate vocabulary and explanations about group behaviour.
• Observe whether students can represent a behaviour clearly, participate safely, take turns and connect the behaviour to warmth, finding family, chick care or hunting.
• Use the worksheet drawing and explanation as an exit assessment. Note students who can name a behaviour but need support explaining its purpose.

Differentiation

• Support learners with photographs, gestures and sentence starters: “Penguins _____ together” and “This helps because _____.” Accept pointing, drawing, movement or a home-language explanation before recasting in English.
• Pre-teach and repeat key words: colony, huddle, call, chick, hunt and partner. Pair students strategically and give a confident speaker or demonstrator a supportive role.
• For students sensitive to noise or close contact, offer a narrator, sound-effects, observer or drawing role; establish that huddling is represented with personal space and no touching.
• Extend learners by asking them to show two linked behaviours, such as calling to locate a chick and feeding it, and explain why each behaviour is useful in Antarctica.