Home | Lesson Archive | Writing Activities | Year 5 | Emperor Penguin

Writing Activities: Year 5

Emperor penguin

Out of all the penguins, the emperor penguin is the largest. These flightless birds live in the Antarctic and the waters surrounding it. Penguins have adapted to be able to deal with this cold, harsh environment, both physically and socially.

In this clip, we will see a giant petrel stop some penguin chicks in their tracks. Will the young emperor penguins be able to stand their ground, or will they lose their fight?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vhpby/player

To enable embedded content please change your cookie preferences.

Credit: BBC One – Spy in the Snow

Literacy idea

Imagine you are the Emperor of the emperor penguins. You have heard about the encounter between some young penguin chicks and a giant petrel, and you have heard how through teamwork, bravery, and the help of a friendly and fierce Adelie, they were able to stand up for themselves against their attacker.

Write a speech addressing all the penguins in your empire to ensure everyone knows about the penguin chicks’ bravery.

Make sure you…

  • Greet your audience and explain why you are making a speech here today
  • Describe the event that took place
  • Explain why you are awarding these penguin chicks with a medal

Wider curriculum idea

Use these facts about emperor penguins from natgeokids.com to create a quiz about penguins. Test your family and friends on their penguin knowledge.