Postcard 4 – Penguins Need Our Help
Dear Explorer:
WOW… we sure did dive into data! It was fun to use delicious M&Ms as data points to discuss graph making and data analysis.
We are going to start looking at penguins and understanding where they live. For this week, check out the following tasks:
✓ Watch my scientist spotlight video and answer a question in your journal.
✓ Learn more about my research site and Antarctic travel using the interactive map.
✓ Learn how to identify the penguin species.
Sincerely,
1. Meet Dr. Megan Cimino, Penguin Scientist
Be a part of Dr. Cimino’s expedition to Antarctica!
Dr. Megan Cimino is a scientist who studies penguins in Antarctica.
Watch the video below to hear her talk about how we research penguins and what we need to know about them. After you’ve watched the video, answer the corresponding question below.
If you would like to learn more about Megan, check out her downloadable fact sheet!
2. Locating the Research Site
Dr. Cimino works at Palmer Station in Antarctica. Palmer Station is located along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. The maps below are of the world (left) and Antarctica (right). Antarctica is located on the bottom of the globe, so it is often distorted or completely left off maps. Click the seven plus signs to learn about the different locations and familiarize yourself with different map projections. Hover your mouse over the image that pops up for extra information. Locate Palmer Station on both maps to familiarize yourself with different methods of mapping the same location on the planet.
3. Let’s identify our study subjects… Penguins!
Now that we know which penguin you are, let’s learn about the three types of penguins that live in the area of Palmer Station in the next activity below.
