Penguin blubber

The girls had a blast in science today as they learned where penguins live in the world and how they stay warm in less than ideal temperatures.  We used the Google Earth app to get a better idea of the penguin's homes and the girls used highlighters to identify the corresponding places on their own personal maps.  They were shocked to hear that penguins do not live in the North Pole!

To make the concept of blubber more appealing to the girls, we brought out the big guns--an ice cold bucket of water.  The girls were challenged to keep their hands in the ice cold water for as long as they could (we set the limit at 30 seconds, we are not THAT mean).  We discussed how their hands felt and if they wanted to go swimming in a pool that temperature--of course we had some bold girls who said they would "definitely" take a dip :-)

 

 

Using a glove, shortening as a "blubber" substitute, and plastic wrap the girls dipped their hands back into the ice cold water.  They were amazed to find that their hands were not nearly as cold as before.  The girls realized that by having blubber, the penguins are able to survive in the harsh climate of Antarctica.