An Activity on How Penguins Stay Warm

Outer Feathers

• The outer feathers on a penguin not only serve as a layer to keep the inner feathers warm, they also keep the penguin dry, keeping it warmer. Talk to the students about the types of clothes they wear during specific seasons. Discuss how humans dress in more layers during the colder winter months to help keep them warm and dry, if it is snowing. The sweaters and jackets that students wear simulate the outer feathers on a penguin and their role in keeping the animal warm.

Inner Feathers

• Underneath the outer feathers, penguins have a downy inner layer of feathers. These feathers serve as insulation between the outside air and the penguin, trapping the warmth close to the penguin's body. Illustrate this by using several plastic baggies and some ice. Fill one plastic baggy with ice, leave one closed and flat and fill the third with air. Place the flat one on the student's hand, followed by the bag of ice. Ask him how his hand feels. Then place the baggy filled with air on the student's hand, followed by the bag of ice. Ask him how he feels now. The air-filled baggy represents the downy inner layer of feathers penguins have.

Blubber

• While penguins seem to be thinner than many other polar animals, they do still have some blubber, or fat, on their bodies. This helps to keep them warm. Instruct each student to place a hand in a plastic glove and then place that hand into a bucket of ice water. Note how quickly the hand becomes cold. Switch the empty glove with one that contains lard or cooking fat. Place the hand back into the bucket of water and evaluate the difference in the time it takes for the hand to become cold.

Social Behaviors

• Penguins also utilize social behaviors to keep themselves warm in the cold climates. These creatures are often found huddled together in large groups. Instruct the students to stand close together in a group. This activity works best near an air conditioning vent that is blowing cool air. Ask the children how they each feel. Ask the students which of them feels warmest.