Winter is the perfect time to dive into a favorite learning theme: penguins! Penguin activities spark interest because the birds are just fascinating! A bird that doesn’t fly? Where do they live again? Many of the cool science concepts connect beautifully with literacy instruction, too. If you’ve ever struggled to make science meaningful—or to fit it in every day—then this blog post is just what you need. It is all about making penguin activities fun, educational, and simple for busy elementary teachers like yourself.
One of the easiest ways to build background knowledge and spark excitement for penguin activities is through read alouds. You can read more about the importance of background knowledge HERE in this blog post. These books are perfect for connecting scientific facts with literacy skills.
This sweet story follows a young penguin who feels nervous about trying new things and would rather stay in his comfort zone. As the story unfolds, students see how he learns that being brave doesn’t mean you’re never scared—it means trying anyway.
This read aloud is great for discussing theme! As students listen, you can guide them in identifying the theme. This supports TEKS K.7.a, 1.7.A, 2.7.A
Tacky is the penguin every child loves and thinks is so silly! Tacky the Penguin doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of his very proper penguin friends. When a problem arises, Tacky’s unique personality comes through and saves the day. This lovely penguin read aloud shows students that being yourself can be a real strength.
Tacky the Penguin is perfect for teaching visualization. With all the vibrant language that hooks our listeners, having them simply close their eyes and imagine what is going on as you read the story aloud is exciting! You can easily support TEKS ELA.K–2.6.E as students work to create mental images and better understand the story.
The Little Penguin introduces students to a young penguin and gives them a look into what life is like in his cold, icy world. The simple text and illustrations make it an easy way to share real penguin facts while still feeling like a cozy read aloud.
This read aloud works well for making predictions which supports TEKS ELA.K.6.B, ELA.1.6.B, and ELA.2.6.B.
Sometimes there are many different penguin activities we want to integrate, and having one place for them all really is helpful! This penguin activity book allows students to record facts as they learn, which helps make a strong connection between science, reading, and writing.
Students can label parts of a penguin, identify true and flase statements, write penguin facts using academic vocabulary, order the penguin (bird) life cycle, and much more!
Because the activity book is easy to prep, it works well for whole group instruction, small groups, or science centers.
If you are looking for penguin activities that dive deep into integrating science and literacy, the penguin science unit provides everything you need. This unit is designed to help you teach penguins with purpose while keeping instruction clear and manageable.
The unit includes a teaching plan, posters, charts, vocabulary cards, graphic organizers, nonfiction reading supports, writing prompts, life cycle activities, a mini book, penguin poem, phonics activities, and an assessment. The life cycle is just one part of the unit, alongside lessons on penguin characteristics, habitats, adaptations, and research skills.
These penguin activities support science standards such as TEKS 1.1.E, 1.12C, and 1.13.
When it comes to planning our day, it always is tricky to figure out how to squeeze everything in AND still keep the little learners engaged all day. In my classroom, it would look like this to squeeze in these penguin activities.
When science and literacy are thoughtfully connected, learning becomes more meaningful for students and more manageable for teachers. These penguin activities allow you to teach required standards while keeping students engaged and curious.
If you are looking for ready-to-use resources that make integrating a penguin theme simple, effective, and standards-aligned, you can find all of these resources in my shop! They are designed to save you time while providing students with rich, cross-curricular learning experiences that work.
Click the images below to check them out!
Penguins are already exciting. With the right penguin activities, teaching them can be just as easy as it is effective.
I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers. Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!
