Penguins Worksheet for 9-Year-Olds | Science and Reading Activities

Instructions

1. Read each section carefully.
2. Circle, match, sort, write, and draw your answers as directed.
3. Use the penguin facts in the reading passage to help you.
4. Try the optional challenge after completing the core questions.

Mission: You are a penguin scientist! Learn how penguins survive in cold places and help prepare a report for a wildlife center.

1. Read: Penguin Facts

Penguins are birds, but they cannot fly through the air. Instead, their strong wings work like flippers and help them swim underwater. Penguins have waterproof feathers that keep water away from their skin. A layer of fat, called blubber, helps keep them warm.

Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. The emperor penguin lives in Antarctica, one of the coldest places on Earth. Emperor penguins huddle together to share warmth. They eat fish, squid, and krill. Penguins use their sharp beaks to catch food.

Penguins are excellent swimmers. Their dark backs help them blend in with the dark ocean when seen from above. Their white bellies help them blend in with the bright surface of the water when seen from below. This kind of protection is called camouflage.

2. Vocabulary Match

Write the letter of the correct meaning next to each word.

3. Choose the Best Answer

Circle one answer for each question.

1. Penguins use their wings mainly to...

   a. fly high in the sky

   b. swim underwater

   c. build nests in trees

2. Which food might a penguin eat?

   a. Grass and apples

   b. Fish and squid

   c. Nuts and berries

3. Where do most penguins live?

   a. Southern Hemisphere

   b. Northern Hemisphere

   c. Every desert

4. What helps an emperor penguin stay warm?

   a. Huddling with other penguins

   b. Sleeping in a tree

   c. Removing its feathers

5. A penguin's dark back and white belly are useful because they provide...

   a. camouflage

   b. music

   c. shelter

4. True or False?

Write T for true or F for false. If a statement is false, rewrite it correctly.

1. _____ Penguins are mammals.

   Correction, if needed: __

2. _____ Penguins have waterproof feathers.

   Correction, if needed: __

3. _____ Emperor penguins live in Antarctica.

   Correction, if needed: __

4. _____ Penguins use their sharp beaks to catch food.

   Correction, if needed: __

5. _____ Penguins usually fly through the air.

   Correction, if needed: __

5. Penguin Adaptation Sort

An adaptation is a body part or behavior that helps a living thing survive. Complete the chart. The first row is an example.

6. Penguin Data Detective

A wildlife center counted the penguins visiting a beach during one week. Study the example, then complete the blank rows with your own reasonable data. Make sure each total is correct.

Example: If 8 penguins arrived in the morning and 5 arrived in the afternoon, the total is 13.

1. On which day did the most penguins visit? __
2. How did you find each day's total? _____
3. Draw a small bar graph for your data below. Use one square for each penguin.

Bar graph space:

Monday: ____

Tuesday: ___

Wednesday: _____

Thursday: __

Friday: _____

Saturday: __

7. Think Like a Scientist

Answer in complete sentences.

1. Why would waterproof feathers be important for a penguin that swims in cold water?

2. How does huddling help emperor penguins?

3. Why might a penguin's white belly make it harder for a predator below to see it?

4. Penguins cannot fly through the air. What is one way their wings are still useful?

8. Design a Penguin Rescue Suit

Imagine you are designing a special suit to help a penguin stay warm and safe in cold water.

Draw your suit in the space below. Label at least three helpful features, such as waterproof covering, warm padding, or camouflage colors.

Drawing space:

Explain one design choice:

Optional Challenge: Compare and Explain

A penguin and a duck both have feathers and can swim. Write one similarity and one difference.

Similarity: _____

Difference: ____

Answer Key

2. Vocabulary Match

1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. E

3. Choose the Best Answer

1. b. swim underwater
2. b. Fish and squid
3. a. Southern Hemisphere
4. a. Huddling with other penguins
5. a. camouflage

4. True or False?

1. F — Penguins are birds.
2. T
3. T
4. T
5. F — Penguins cannot fly through the air, but they can swim very well.

5. Penguin Adaptation Sort

• Flippers: They help penguins swim.
• Blubber: It helps keep penguins warm.
• Huddling together: It helps penguins share warmth.
• Dark back and white belly: They provide camouflage in the ocean.
• Sharp beak: It helps penguins catch and eat food.

6. Penguin Data Detective

Answers will vary because students create their own data. Each total should equal the morning number plus the afternoon number. The most-visited day should match the greatest total in the student's chart. The bar graph should match the data in the table.

7. Think Like a Scientist

1. Waterproof feathers help keep cold water away from the penguin's skin and help the penguin stay warmer.
2. Huddling lets emperor penguins stand close together and share body warmth.
3. A white belly can blend with the bright surface of the water when viewed from below.
4. A penguin's wings work like flippers and help it swim underwater.

8. Design a Penguin Rescue Suit

Answers and drawings will vary. A complete response should include at least three labeled features and a reasonable explanation of one design choice.

Optional Challenge: Compare and Explain

Sample answer: Both penguins and ducks have feathers and can swim. Penguins use their wings as flippers and cannot fly through the air, while most ducks can fly.