Friday, October 19, 2012

LEARNZ - Penguins and Seals

Next week we are starting a virtual learning inquiry about Penguins and Seals through LEARNZ as part of our reading rotation.  


What you will do

In preparation for this field trip you will learn about
  • penguins in general
  • New Zealand penguins
  • little blue penguins in particular, including their life cycle
  • seals in general
  • New Zealand seals
  • NZ fur seals in particular, including their life cycle
  • the threats to penguins and seals and their conservation
During the field trip you will
  • get up close to penguin chicks and adults and seal pups and their parents
  • use technology like a burrow scope
  • take part in daily and seasonal conservation work
  • carry out a population count and apply estimation techniques
  • catch a one-year-old seal pup
  • get close to a fluffy blue penguin chick
  • find out the life stories of pups and chicks so far
  • assess the health of individual animals by taking measurements and samples, then process and interpret the data
  • explore the rocky shore and discover what makes up the local food chains
  • discover the reasons why penguins and seals are under attack from local and global threats, what steps are being taken to conserve them and what you can do to help
  • relate our marine life to local and global issues like sustainability, climate change, food webs, water, interconnectedness, the land/sea interface and human activity

Where you will go

Charleston, near Westport is home to many little blue penguins/kororā - the smallest penguin in the world. The population and range of the little blue penguin has been declining in areas not protected from predators. Cape Foulwind, a half-hour's drive from Charleston, is at the north-western tip of the South Island where it is home to the New Zealand fur seal/kekeno.


Explore these links and learn as much as you can about penguins and seals so you are ready to contribute your learning in class:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_4926780_seals-kids.html

http://www.facts-about.org.uk/facts-about-seals.htm

http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/facts.htm

http://www.squidoo.com/penguin-facts-for-kids 

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