Scientists have found four new groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica using satellite pictures. This means we now know about 66 places where they live. It’s really important for people who want to protect these penguins because they’re having a tough time because of climate change. These penguins have babies on ice that’s not moving, but that kind of ice is getting smaller and changing more. Finding these new groups is good news, but it also shows that the penguins need to be able to change and move to new places as the ice keeps changing.

Emperor penguins are the biggest kind of penguin and they live in really tough conditions in Antarctica. They have babies in groups, and these groups are usually about 250km apart. Scientists have been using satellites to look for new groups of penguins in the spaces between the ones we already know about. The four new groups they found have a few thousand more penguins in them, adding to the total of about 550,000. It’s clear that the penguins will have to be able to change and move to new places as the ice keeps changing, because some of the groups we already knew about have moved around.

Satellites are the best way to find emperor penguin groups because Antarctica is so big and far away. Scientists can see the groups because the penguins’ poop makes stains on the white ice, and if there are enough penguins in one place, you can even see it from space. Dr. Peter Fretwell from the British Antarctic Survey has found about half of the groups we know about using satellite pictures. The pictures from the EU’s Sentinel-2 spacecraft have helped scientists watch the penguins try to start a new group near Britain’s Halley research station.

Finding these new groups of emperor penguins shows that they can change and move around when the ice changes. The satellites have also helped scientists see how far the penguins go to find food for their babies. The adults can travel over 100km in one day. The scientists published their findings about the new groups in the journal Antarctic Science.

Original news source: Four new emperor penguin groups found by satellite (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and summarize the main points in 3-4 sentences.
4. Give the groups a few minutes to discuss and write their summaries.
5. Have each group share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Ask the students to form pairs.
2. Provide each pair with a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think the discovery of new penguin groups is a positive or negative development?” or “How important is it to protect emperor penguins?”
3. Instruct the pairs to interview each other and record their partner’s opinions.
4. After a few minutes, gather the class together and ask a few pairs to share their partner’s opinions.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as “satellites,” “Antarctica,” “climate change,” “emperor penguins,” etc.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Give each team a large piece of paper and a marker.
4. Call out a vocabulary word and have one student from each team come to the front of the class.
5. The students must draw a picture to represent the word and their team must guess the word.
6. The team who guesses correctly gets a point.
7. Repeat with different vocabulary words until all have been used.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions:
1. Write a sentence from the article on the board, but leave out some of the keywords.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Have one student from the first team come to the front of the class and choose a letter.
4. If the letter is in the sentence, write it in the correct place.
5. If the letter is not in the sentence, draw a part of the hangman.
6. Continue taking turns between the teams until the sentence is complete or the hangman is drawn.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Ask the students to form pairs.
2. Instruct each pair to discuss and make predictions about what might happen to emperor penguins in the future due to climate change.
3. Give the pairs a few minutes to discuss and write down their predictions.
4. Ask a few pairs to share their predictions with the class and facilitate a short discussion about the topic.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is it important for scientists to find new groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica?
2. How many places where emperor penguins live do we now know about?
3. Why are emperor penguins having a tough time because of climate change?
4. Where do emperor penguins have their babies?
5. How are the ice conditions in Antarctica changing?
6. How do scientists use satellites to find emperor penguins?
7. How many emperor penguins are there in total?
8. What did the scientists learn about the penguins’ movement patterns from the satellite pictures?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists have found four new groups of emperor (1)______ in Antarctica using satellite pictures. This (2)______ we now know about 66 places where they live. It’s really important for (3)______ who want to protect these penguins because they’re having a tough time because of climate (4)______. These penguins have babies on ice that’s not moving, but that kind of ice is getting smaller and changing more. Finding these new groups is good news, but it also shows that the penguins need to be able to change and move to new places as the ice keeps (5)______.

Emperor (6)______s are the biggest kind of penguin and they live in really tough conditions in Antarctica. They have babies in (7)______, and these groups are usually about 250km apart. Scientists have been using satellites to look for new groups of penguins in the spaces between the ones we already know about. The four new groups they found have a few thousand more penguins in them, adding to the (8)______ of about 550,000. It’s clear that the penguins will have to be able to change and move to new (9)______s as the ice keeps changing, because some of the groups we already knew about have moved around.

(10)______ are the best way to find emperor penguin groups because (11)______a is so big and far away. Scientists can see the groups because the penguins’ poop makes stains on the white ice, and if there are (12)______ penguins in one place, you can even see it from space. Dr. Peter Fretwell from the British Antarctic Survey has found about half of the groups we know about using satellite pictures. The pictures from the EU’s Sentinel-2 spacecraft have (13)______ (14)______ watch the penguins try to start a new group near Britain’s Halley research station.

Finding these new groups of emperor penguins shows that they can change and move around when the ice changes. The satellites have also helped scientists see how far the penguins go to find food for their babies. The adults can (15)______ over 100km in one day. The scientists (16)______ their findings about the new groups in the journal Antarctic Science.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is climate change and why is it affecting the emperor penguins?
2. How do the emperor penguins have their babies?
3. How do scientists use satellites to find new groups of penguins?
4. Do you think it’s important to protect the emperor penguins? Why or why not?
5. How do the satellites help scientists understand the penguins’ behavior?
6. What do you think it would be like to live in Antarctica?
7. How do the penguins find food for their babies?
8. Do you think it’s easy for the penguins to move to new places as the ice changes? Why or why not?
9. How far can the adult penguins travel in one day?
10. How do scientists know where the penguins are based on satellite pictures?
11. What do you think the penguins’ poop stains look like on the ice?
12. How do you think the penguins feel when their ice habitat gets smaller and changes?
13. Do you like penguins? Why or why not?
14. How would you feel if you saw a penguin in real life?
15. Do you think it’s important to study and learn about animals like the emperor penguins? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. emperor
2. satellite
3. Antarctica
4. climate
5. groups
6. conditions
7. babies
8. spaces
9. total
10. satellites
11. stains
12. spacecraft
13. published
14. findings
15. journal

Meanings:
(A) A type of ruler, often used to describe a powerful leader or the largest species of something
(B) A vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space
(C) The results or data obtained from a study or research
(D) The situations or environments in which people, animals, or plants live
(E) Collections of individuals or things that are placed or gathered together
(F) Empty areas or gaps between objects or structures
(G) The coldest continent at the bottom of the Earth
(H) A machine that is sent into space to collect information or for communication
(I) The weather patterns and changes in the atmosphere over a long period
(J) Machines sent into orbit around Earth to observe or communicate
(K) A periodical publication where scholarly articles on a variety of topics are printed
(L) Made available to the public, typically in written form
(M) The complete amount or number of something
(N) Marks or discolorations, often left by something dirty or colored
(O) Young or offspring of a species
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How many new groups of emperor penguins were found in Antarctica?
(a) Six
(b) Eight
(c) Four
(d) Ten

2. Why is it important to find new groups of emperor penguins?
(a) To protect them from climate change
(b) To study their behavior
(c) To count their population accurately
(d) To track their migration patterns

3. What is the biggest kind of penguin?
(a) King penguin
(b) Adelie penguin
(c) Emperor penguin
(d) Gentoo penguin

4. How far apart are the groups of emperor penguins usually?
(a) 250km
(b) 100km
(c) 500km
(d) 1000km

5. How do scientists use satellites to find emperor penguin groups?
(a) By tracking their migration patterns
(b) By counting their population from space
(c) By studying their feeding habits
(d) By looking for stains on the ice made by penguin poop

6. What kind of ice are the emperor penguins’ babies born on?
(a) Icebergs
(b) Ice that’s not moving
(c) Floating ice
(d) Fast-moving ice

7. How many emperor penguins are there in total?
(a) About 250,000
(b) About 550,000
(c) About 1 million
(d) About 100,000

8. Where were the new groups of emperor penguins found?
(a) Near Britain’s Halley research station
(b) Near the North Pole
(c) Near the South Pole
(d) In the spaces between the ones we already know about

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The penguins’ waste leaves stains on the ice, which can be seen from space, allowing scientists to identify the presence of large groups.
2. Scientists have discovered four previously unknown groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica using satellite images.
3. This brings the total number of known emperor penguin groups to 67.
4. They breed in groups that are typically about 250km apart.
5. Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguins and live in harsh conditions in Antarctica.
6. The discovery of these new groups does not highlight the need for the penguins to be able to adapt and move to new locations as the ice continues to change.
7. Climate change is not posing a significant threat to emperor penguins, as the ice they rely on for breeding is not shrinking and changing.
8. Satellites are not effective tools for locating emperor penguin groups due to the vastness and remoteness of Antarctica.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why is it important for scientists to find new groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica?
2. How do satellites help scientists locate the penguin groups?
3. What is the main threat to emperor penguins?
4. How many groups of emperor penguins are currently known?
5. How far can adult emperor penguins travel in one day to find food for their babies?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is it important for scientists to find new groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica?
– It is important for scientists to find new groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica because it helps them understand where the penguins are located and how they are being affected by climate change. This information is crucial for conservation efforts and protecting the penguins.

2. How many places where emperor penguins live do we now know about?
– We now know about 66 places where emperor penguins live in Antarctica.

3. Why are emperor penguins having a tough time because of climate change?
– Emperor penguins are having a tough time because of climate change because the ice they rely on to have their babies is melting and changing. This makes it harder for them to find stable places to lay their eggs and raise their chicks.

4. Where do emperor penguins have their babies?
– Emperor penguins have their babies on ice that is not moving, usually in groups called colonies.

5. How are the ice conditions in Antarctica changing?
– The ice conditions in Antarctica are changing because of climate change. The ice is melting and becoming smaller, making it more difficult for the emperor penguins to find suitable places to have their babies.

6. How do scientists use satellites to find emperor penguins?
– Scientists use satellites to find emperor penguins by taking pictures of Antarctica from space. They can see the penguins’ poop stains on the white ice, which helps them locate the penguin colonies.

7. How many emperor penguins are there in total?
– There are about 550,000 emperor penguins in total.

8. What did the scientists learn about the penguins’ movement patterns from the satellite pictures?
– The scientists learned that emperor penguins can change and move around when the ice conditions change. They also discovered that the penguins can travel over 100km in one day to find food for their babies.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) penguins
(2) means
(3) people
(4) change
(5) changing
(6) penguin
(7) groups
(8) total
(9) place
(10) Satellites
(11) Antarctic
(12) enough
(13) helped
(14) scientists
(15) travel
(16) published
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. emperor
Answer: (A) A type of ruler, often used to describe a powerful leader or the largest species of something

2. satellite
Answer: (H) A machine that is sent into space to collect information or for communication

3. Antarctica
Answer: (G) The coldest continent at the bottom of the Earth

4. climate
Answer: (I) The weather patterns and changes in the atmosphere over a long period

5. groups
Answer: (E) Collections of individuals or things that are placed or gathered together

6. conditions
Answer: (D) The situations or environments in which people, animals, or plants live

7. babies
Answer: (O) Young or offspring of a species

8. spaces
Answer: (F) Empty areas or gaps between objects or structures

9. total
Answer: (M) The complete amount or number of something

10. satellites
Answer: (J) Machines sent into orbit around Earth to observe or communicate

11. stains
Answer: (N) Marks or discolorations, often left by something dirty or colored

12. spacecraft
Answer: (B) A vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space

13. published
Answer: (L) Made available to the public, typically in written form

14. findings
Answer: (C) The results or data obtained from a study or research

15. journal
Answer: (K) A periodical publication where scholarly articles on a variety of topics are printed
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How many new groups of emperor penguins were found in Antarctica?
Answer: (c) Four

2. Why is it important to find new groups of emperor penguins?
Answer: (a) To protect them from climate change

3. What is the biggest kind of penguin?
Answer: (c) Emperor penguin

4. How far apart are the groups of emperor penguins usually?
Answer: (a) 250km

5. How do scientists use satellites to find emperor penguin groups?
Answer: (d) By looking for stains on the ice made by penguin poop

6. What kind of ice are the emperor penguins’ babies born on?
Answer: (b) Ice that’s not moving

7. How many emperor penguins are there in total?
Answer: (b) About 550,000

8. Where were the new groups of emperor penguins found?
Answer: (d) In the spaces between the ones we already know about
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The penguins’ waste leaves stains on the ice, which can be seen from space, allowing scientists to identify the presence of large groups. (Answer: True)
2. Scientists have discovered four previously unknown groups of emperor penguins in Antarctica using satellite images. (Answer: True)
3. This brings the total number of known emperor penguin groups to 67. (Answer: False)
4. They breed in groups that are typically about 250km apart. (Answer: True)
5. Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguins and live in harsh conditions in Antarctica. (Answer: True)
6. The discovery of these new groups does not highlight the need for the penguins to be able to adapt and move to new locations as the ice continues to change. (Answer: False)
7. Climate change is not posing a significant threat to emperor penguins, as the ice they rely on for breeding is not shrinking and changing. (Answer: False)
8. Satellites are not effective tools for locating emperor penguin groups due to the vastness and remoteness of Antarctica. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧