Would you like to add some real-time data to your penguin unit this year? Thanks to education outreach resources from an Antarctic research team, you can!

Dr. David Ainley studies Adelie penguin populations in Antarctica. His long term research of 30 years has recently shown indication of the penguin populations reacting to climate change. His web site, Penguin Science, details his research findings and provides a wealth of materials for teachers, students, and the general public. Multimedia resources on the site include video, images, and the opportunity to order a 40 minute DVD sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Teachers will be most interested in the Education page, which provides a variety of projects and resources for the classroom. Students can receive a postcard from Antarctica, ask questions of researchers, or participate in the popular “Nest Check” project. In this project, the research team selects six Adelie penguin families to follow and take pictures every day. Students create a journal and record data such as weather conditions, length of foraging trips for the female vs male, dates of egg(s) laying, chick hatching, fledging, and so on. This real-time data project provides a wonderful opportunity to observe and discuss penguin behavior. This year’s Nest Check begins Nov 5 and ends Jan 30. Learn more about Nest Check and other Penguin Science educational resources at http://www.penguinscience.com/classroom_home.php.