Mission: Penguin? Lesson Ideas

Tips for Adapting Lessons for Distanced and Remote Learners!

Each week, we provide two new lesson opportunities.  Some will be very easy to adapt to a distanced classroom setting while others may require a bit more thinking.  We're here to help with that!  Remember, you can skip any lessons you choose and still provide your students with a great mission experience.  Even under normal conditions, it is rare that a class does EVERY lesson associated with a mission, so be kind to yourselves.  Less really can be more!

That being said, I'll add to this page weekly so you can find adaptation ideas for the lessons you DO choose to do. ​

---

Day 1: To the Galapagos
In person with distancing: This lesson sets the stage for the mission with a mapping activity as well as setting up data collection protocols.  Your existing protocols for handling papers should be all the modification needed.
Remote learning:  Use tools like Google Maps to support your online discussion.  Share pdf maps, journal pages, and data collection pages through your learning management system so students can access them digitally!

Day 2: Sounds Different
​In person with distancing: For the opening demo, use the variation where you are the one touching the string.  Use gloved hands and/or sanitize between students.  Students will be able to work in socially distanced pairs by providing a longer length of string and taking turns attaching objects.  Each partner holds one end of the string to their ear.  They can swing the object to tap it against a desk or chair leg.
Remote:  This is a great raid the recycling bin sort of activity.  The materials, even for the bonus design challenge, are flexible and easily scavenged.  The only must have item is some sort of string or yarn.  After introducing the lesson during a class session or though your learning management system, have students complete the challenge and report out with videos  or during your next class session.

---

Day 3: Beaks, Beaks, Beaks
​In person with distancing: Provide each student their own baggie of "food" to have at their designated workspace.  If possible gather enough "beaks" for each student to have one.  Have students work with gloved hands, or sanitize hands and "beaks" before trading them with a partner.
Remote:  Encourage students to gather their own materials at home!  Challenge them to get creative with the different types of "beaks" they gather or assemble.  Remind them to ask their adults before using any food or small objects for this activity.  After students explore independently at home, gather for a group discussion or share reflections on your LMS.  Be sure to talk about how the different "beaks" and "foods" they gathered may have produced different results!

Day 4: Same and Different
​In person with distancing: This lesson has students assemble and compare life-size animal posters.  Instead of working in collaborative groups, share page seven of the lesson with students so they can complete the Venn diagram portion of the activity by comparing the animal outlines.  If time and space permit, students can assemble their own six page life size penguin puzzles.

Remote:  If students are able to print at home, a life size animal poster could become a wonderful family project.  Share a link to download the posters!  Alternatively, have students use the images on page seven of the lesson as a reference as you collaboratively create your triple Venn diagrams.  The life-size animal posters are also visible in Mobile Headquarters and Virtual Mobile HQ slides so those images could also be used to complete the Venn diagrams.

Click to Access Virtual Mobile HQ slides

---

Day 5: Blubber (La Loberia)

​In person with distancing: Have students sanitize their hands prior to trying the blubber glove.  Consider having students bring materials from home to construct their insulating alternative.  Provide a collection of additional materials for students who were not able to bring things from home.  If needed (to ensure social distancing) students can work independently rather in teams.

Remote:  Send the blubber glove assembly directions home to adults.  If they are unable to construct a glove, demonstrate the use of a blubber glove during your class meeting or with a video on your LMS.  Then challenge students to create two or more insulating designs as described in the lesson and compare them to find the most effective solution.  Encourage them to be creative in their materials choices and use what is on hand.  Remember to check the recycling bin too!

Day 6: Relative Abundance
(The Rookery)
In person with distancing: This card game can be modified to play at individual desks by splitting up the draw pile so each student has their own.  Instead of trading cards with one another, students can select from their face up discards or face down draw cards when they roll a “T.”  To simplify things further, have just one die and all students adapt their cards based on each roll of the die.
Remote:  To keep printing to a minimum, families who are able to print the game cards, boards, and die at home can print just a single game board.  If it is impossible to get game parts to students, focus on the ELA integration instead as this can be done without any special materials.