LESSON 20 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Emperor Penguins
by Stephanie Cohen
Fountas-Pinnell Level J
Nonfiction
Selection Summary
Emperor penguins are the largest penguins. Emperor penguin parents
raise their chicks cooperatively. While the mother goes off to feed, the
father shelters the egg until it hatches. After the mother returns, the
father can feed. Then both care for the chick.
Number of Words: 597
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Nonfiction
• Focused on a single topic: Emperor penguins
• Underlying sequence-of-events text structure
• Emperor penguins
• Life cycle of Emperor penguins
• Text assumes that students know that penguins are flightless birds
• Emperor penguin parents work as a team to raise their young.
• Emperor penguins endure hardships to protect their young.
• Simple, clear language
• Meaning provided through integration of photos with text
• A mix of short and more complex sentences
• Target vocabulary words highlighted in text
• Words related to penguins that are not defined in text: krill, sheds, waterproof feathers
• Terms and proper nouns that may be difficult to decode, such as Emperor penguins,
rockhoppers, chinstraps, macaronis, Antarctica, Equator
• Photographs closely linked with the text
• Map showing where penguins live
• Nine pages of text; photos or a graphic on all pages
• “Fun Fact” text boxes
• Captions that add to text information; some long captions with two sentences
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
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Emperor Penguins
by Stephanie Cohen
Build Background
Help students use their knowledge of penguins to visualize the book. Build interest by
asking questions such as the following: What kind of animal is a penguin? How is a
penguin different from other birds? Read the title and author and talk about the cover
illustration. Explain that Emperor penguins are the world’s largest penguin, and that they
have an interesting way of caring for their young.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and nonfiction features. Help with
unfamiliar language so they can read the text successfully. Give special attention to target
vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that penguins live at the bottom of the world, in Antarctica, and
that the seasons are reversed there.
Suggested language: Turn to page 2. The text says that in June, the region, or
area, where penguins live is very cold. June may be summer in North America, but
in the region of Antarctica, it’s winter. Look at the photo. What do you see sitting
on the feet of the penguin on the right? Why do you think the penguin holds its
chick on its feet?
Page 3: Direct attention to the “Fun Fact” box. Explain that boxes like this give
extra facts about the topic. What facts about penguins does this box tell you?
Page 6: Remind students that captions can give clues about information in
the text. What does the caption on page 6 tell you? Why is this information
unexpected? Does it surprise you to learn that the father penguin doesn’t eat?
Page 7: Have students look at the photo on the page and read the caption. How do
the photo and caption on this page help you understand the meaning of the word
gliding? Why would sliding on ice or snow help a penguin go faster?
Now turn back to the beginning and read to find out about Emperor penguins.
Target Vocabulary
climate – the average weather in
a particular place, p. 4
gliding – moving smoothly, with
little effort, p. 7
region – a large section of, p. 2
colony – a group of people or the
same kind of animals living
together, p. 6
layer – one thickness of
something, p. 4
unexpected – happening without
warning, p. 6
overheated – too hot to be safe,
p. 4
wilderness – a wild area of land
where very few people live,
p. 5
constant – not changing, p. 9
Grade 3
2
shelter – to protect or hide, p. 5
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Read
As students read Emperor Penguins, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using
language that supports their problem-solving ability.
Remind students to use the Infer/Predict Strategy
figure out more about the selection.
, and to use clues to
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the book.
Suggested language: What surprised you the most about the lives of Emperor penguins?
What more would you like to know about these huge birds?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Emperor penguins are the largest
penguin.
• Animal parents will risk their
own lives to raise their young.
• Captions help to explain the
photos.
• Emperor penguin parents work
as a team to take care of eggs
and chicks.
• Without the help of both parents,
an Emperor penguin chick could
not survive.
• The photos contain a lot of visual
information.
• Emperor penguin fathers do not
eat until the egg hatches.
• Even the biggest animals need
protection when they are babies.
• The “Fun Fact” boxes contain
interesting information about
penguins.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text and demonstrate phrased
fluent reading. Remind them to pay attention to punctuation, pausing at commas and
periods.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Guide students to read and work with contractions with is and
not: it’s-it is, won’t-will not, can’t-cannot. Provide additional examples, such as hasn’t,
shouldn’t, he’s, and who’s.
Grade 3
3
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Writing about Reading
Vocabulary Practice
Have students complete the Vocabulary questions on BLM 20.1.
Responding
Have students complete the vocabulary activities on page 11. Remind them to answer the
Word Teaser on page 12. (Answer: overheater)
Reading Nonfiction
Nonfiction Features: Map Remind students that nonfiction has many features to help
readers find and understand important information. Maps are one of these features.
Explain that a map can show a small area or the entire world, as on page 5. The labels
on a map give the names of places on the map. Point out that the box on the left of the
map on page 5 is called a map key. The map key explains what symbols or colors on the
map stand for. In this book, the red square shows that areas in red on the map are where
penguins live.
Have students look again at the map on page 5. Ask what continent is hidden by the “Fun
Fact” box (North America). Have students identify other continents where penguins do not
live (Europe, Asia).
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6.
Assessment Prompts
• In the first paragraph on page 5, which word used as a verb can also be a noun that
means “a place to live or take cover in”?
• In paragraph 2 on page 6, find the word that means almost the same as group.
• Tell one word that best describes Emperor penguin fathers. Use evidence from the
book to support your answer.
Grade 3
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Give English learners a “preview” of the text by holding a brief
small-group discussion with them before reading the text with the entire group.
Cognates Use English/Spanish cognates such as these to aid students’ understanding
of the target vocabulary words: climate-clima, colony-colonia, constant-constante, regionregión.
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What kind of penguins is
this book about?
Speaker 1: Which parent takes care of
the egg until it hatches?
Speaker 2: Emperor penguins
Speaker 2: The father penguin takes care
of the egg.
Speaker 1: What has to happen to
a chick before it can go into the
water to find its own food?
Speaker 1: Are Emperor penguins large
or small birds?
Speaker 2: They are large birds.
Speaker 1: What do the mother
penguins do while the fathers care for
the eggs?
Speaker 2: The chick has to shed
its fluffy feathers and grow
waterproof feathers.
Speaker 2: The mother penguins go off
to find food.
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Lesson 20
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 20.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Emperor Penguins
Target Vocabulary
Write words and ideas that go with the word climate in
the web. Then create your own webs for the remaining Target
Vocabulary words. Possible responses shown.
Vocabulary
climate
colony
constant
gliding
layer
overheated
region
shelter
unexpected
wilderness
weather
rainy
climate
desert
cold
Read directions to students.
Target Vocabulary
3
Grade 3, Unit 4: Extreme Nature
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Grade 3
5
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Name
Date
Emperor Penguins
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.
Penguins are birds, but they are unable to fly. Their wings are more like
flippers and they use them to swim. Look at the photos of the penguins on
the cover and on page 3. How do you think penguins use their flippers to
help them swim underwater? How is this like the way people swim?
Grade 3
6
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Lesson 20
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 20.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Emperor Penguins
Target Vocabulary
Write words and ideas that go with the word climate in
the web. Then create your own webs for the remaining Target
Vocabulary words.
Vocabulary
climate
colony
constant
gliding
layer
overheated
region
shelter
unexpected
wilderness
climate
Grade 3
7
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Student
Lesson 20
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 20.24
Emperor Penguins • LEVEL J
page
Emperor Penguins
Running Record Form
Selection Text
2
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
It is June in Antarctica. The region is very cold. The sun
won’t shine much for months. But the Emperor penguins are
busy. It is time for the penguin mothers to lay their eggs. The
penguin fathers will help care for the eggs.
3
The Emperor penguin is the largest penguin. It can grow to
be four feet tall. That’s as tall as a six-year-old child.
4
During the summer, penguins eat a lot. By the time winter
arrives, they have a thick layer of fat. It keeps them warm in
this cold climate. The penguins’ feathers help keep them
warm, too, but not overheated.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/103 ×
100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 3
Behavior
Error
0
0
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
cat
Error
1414193
Behavior
ˆ
Word told
1
8
T
cat
1
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