Passports To Knowledge: Mr. Popper's Penguins

Passports
to Knowledge
A travel companion for the novel:
Mr. Popper’s
Penguins
by Richard and
Florence Atwater
Copyright © 1938 by Carroll Atwater Bishop.

Renewal copyright © 1966 by
Carroll Atwater Bishop.
Print edition published by
Little, Brown and Company.
Published by arrangement with
Carroll Atwater Bishop
c/o Rembar & Curtis, New York.
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Teacher Travels
A Travel Itinerary 1
Unit Overview
Transportation 2
Book Synopsis of Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Road Map
Vocabulary List for Chapters 11 and 12 of Mr. Popper’s Penguins
3
Gearing Up
Prior Knowledge/Schema Activation
5
Taking the Next Step

Bringing Inferences into Your Classroom 7

Bringing Homophones into Your Classroom 8

Bringing Personification into Your Classroom 9
Laying the Tracks for the Final Destination

Teacher Guide for Go the Distance 10
The Road Home

Parent Page 11
Travel Guide
Answer Key 12
Future Travels
Additional Literature
13
© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals

Table of Contents
Student Journeys
Information Exploration
Vocabulary Activity: Using a Dictionary
15
Who Lives Here?

17
Content Activity: Animals
Location Exploration
Study Skills Activity: Using Maps and Globes 19
You Decide
20
Comprehension Activity: Inference
Don’t Let Your Ears Fool You

Word Analysis Activity: Homophones
22
The World Comes Alive with Words

Language Analysis Activity: Personification
24
Me, Myself, and My Question-Filled Quest

Metacognition Activity
25
Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Writing Activity 26
On the Write Path

Writing Activity 27
Go the Distance 28
Culminating Project
© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc.

Animals
A Travel Itinerary
Unit Overview
Anchored on selections from a classic children's fiction book, Mr. Popper's

Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater, this journey guides students into
relevant reading and language skills. Throughout the adventure, students will
make inferences and draw conclusions, understand the use of
personification, and identify homophones. Integrated into these skill-based
activities are multiple opportunities for researching, writing, and higher-level
thinking.
In the online portion of the unit, students can read, with or without audio support,
a selection from Mr. Popper's Penguins. Students will be introduced to the unit
through the activity A Writer's Voyage, which builds background and explores
the elements of fiction and how writers get their story ideas. Other online
learning activities in this journey include Mystery Performers (making inferences
and drawing conclusions), Nature Comes Alive (personification), and Tossed-Up
Talents (homophones). In all of the online learning activities, instruction is
provided prior to assessment. Students also have the option to visit the
compass for extra instruction throughout the activity. In many of the online
learning activities, students are prompted to either write down their ideas or
answer an open-ended question related to the skill in their notebooks.
Offline materials extend themes and provide guided practice and independent
application of the skills addressed in the online curriculum. Opportunities for
critical thinking and authentic writing are provided. A creative plan for
introducing the unit and building important background knowledge is included
along with suggestions for the set up of exploratory centers. Also included is a
page of information to share with parents, a list of additional literature titles for
further study, and a teacher preparation guide for the final project. In the Go the
Distance final project, students will summarize and apply the knowledge they
have gained. Multiple student work pages challenge students to think about
what they have read and apply the skills highlighted in the unit through reading,
researching, and writing. All of the work pages are linked to the book and its
main ideas. Bon voyage!
© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 1

Transportation
Story Synopsis of Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Mr. Popper is a daydreamer when not working at his painting and

wallpapering business, and even while working, he dreams of faraway places.
He especially loves to dream about going on a polar expedition. Whenever he
can, Mr. Popper reads books and sees movies about the Arctic and Antarctica.
He wishes he would have become a scientist, rather than a housepainter, or at
least seen some of the world before settling down and raising a family in
Stillwater.
Mr. Popper's fascination with polar exploration leads him to write a letter to
Admiral Drake, an explorer at the South Pole. Admiral Drake reciprocates by
sending something special to the Popper household a live penguin from
Antarctica!
The Popper family is barely making ends meet as it is, but they rearrange
their whole lifestyle in order to care for the penguin's needs. This mostly
involves keeping their new pet, named Captain Cook, very, very cool.
The Poppers have gone to great lengths to keep Captain Cook happy.
Though the bird seems happy in the Popper refrigerator eating canned shrimp,
after a while he begins to look sick. He grows sicker each day. Finally, a cure
is sent - a second penguin, a female, that Mr. Popper names Greta.
Greta is indeed the cure for Captain Cook's malady. Very soon after her
arrival, with enlarged quarters in the cellar of the Popper's home, Captain Cook
and Greta produce ten little penguins.
With more than ten times the original challenge, the Poppers don't know
how they will afford their pets. Then, Mr. Popper comes up with the brilliant idea
of performing penguins! Shortly after planning and rehearsing their animal act,
the Poppers are booked for many theaters by their new agent, Mr. Greenbaum,
and they are on the road. All goes well until they hit hot weather and a seal act
in Boston. The troupe ends up in jail. Mr. Greenbaum bails them out. He also
introduces them to a Hollywood filmmaker who offers to put the birds in movies.
Instead, Mr. Popper decides to decline the offer, and go back to living a
simple life in Stillwater. At the request of Admiral Drake, he decides to send the
penguins with the Admiral to the North Pole so they can start the first penguin
colony there. What follows is a sad goodbye until Admiral Drake announces
that Mr. Popper will be part of the expedition!

Road Map
a high-ranking, commissioned officer in

admiral
the Navy or Coast Guard
ail to feel ill or be troubled by mental or
ailed physical pain
ails
Antarctic of or related to the South Pole
a water-filled tank in which aquatic plants
aquarium
and animals live
a source that provides news to television,
Associated Press radio, and newspapers in the form of
print and photographs
broth a clear soup
broths
cease to stop
ceased
a person who is in charge of taking care
curator
of a museum or library collection
a mixture of milk and eggs that is
custard
sometimes sweetened and can be
frozen, baked, or boiled
despair a feeling of hopelessness
drift snow found near the ground and moved
drifts by wind
flop to drop heavily
gay happy
inquire to ask
in spite of not stopped by
mope to move slowly, to act gloomy
mopey
mopiness
occupy to fill a space
occupied
opinion a belief based upon experience
a place where animals such as penguins
rookery
or seals can nest or breed
a printing method in which pictures and
rotogravure letters are transferred from a copper
cylinder to paper or plastic in a press
snowdrift a pile of snow that has collected on the
snowdrifts ground
solemn serious
squirm to move in a twisting motion
squirming

Road Map
a condition of being dazed, usually from

stupor
shock or stress
sulk to withdraw from activities while acting
sulking quiet and moody
sympathy experiencing an understanding, empathic
sympathetic feeling with or for another
thrive to grow successfully
toboggan to ride as if on a sled
tobogganed
tremendous very large in amount
tremendously
unexpected something that happens without warning
unexpectedly
having to do with the medical care of
veterinary (adj)
animals
veterinary (n) an animal doctor, British for veterinarian

Gearing Up
Prior Knowledge / Schema Activation
Purpose:
To help introduce the concepts in the unit, you may wish to
begin with some of the following activities drawn from the
themes in the story Mr. Popper's Penguins. These activities
will help students link their own background knowledge with
the concepts they will read about in the online selection. This
unit will include information about penguins, the Arctic and
Antarctic, pets, and natural habitats. Additionally, the
following skills will be covered: identifying homophones,
understanding personification, and making inferences.
Lesson:
Type of Activity Explanation / Description
1. Introduction to · Tell students that the book for this unit is about a man who dreams of
Unit Journal traveling to a faraway place where penguins live.
Entry · Have students respond to the following: Pretend you can travel to
a faraway place and bring back any animal as a pet. Where will you
go? Which animal will you choose? Why?
· Discuss student responses.
2. Discussion / · Have students offer predictions about the story by sharing ideas in
Make a response to the following questions: What might be difficult about
Prediction having a penguin in your home? What might be fun or interesting
about having a penguin in your home? What changes might a family
have to make if they suddenly decide to have a penguin for a pet?
3. Read and · Prepare for this activity by setting up six stations around the
Respond to classroom. Label each station. Print the directions for students and
Short place these at each station. Provide paper, crayons, colored pencils,
Descriptions in markers, and the specific materials listed for each station.
Stations around · Explain the nature of the activity to students: Each station will tell
the Classroom you something about different topics in the story. You will visit each
station and read the directions. Then, you will complete each activity
outlined in the directions at each station. You will not have much
time, so you should accomplish the activities as quickly as possible.
· Divide class into six groups. Assign each group to a station. Allow
groups approximately 15 minutes at each station. When time is up,
you may choose to signal the students in some way (ringing a bell,
clapping your hands, etc.) to move to the next station and begin
reading the next description.
4. Share · After students have completed the activities at all stations, invite
them to share some of their responses in a class discussion.

Gearing Up
Prior Knowledge / Schema Activation
Station Descriptions:
Topic Description
Set-up: Provide a collection of photos and nonfiction books that
include photographs and illustrations of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Include any books that have information about animals that live in
Arctic and Antarctic these areas.
Activity: Draw what you think the landscape of the Arctic or
Antarctic looks like. Include some drawings of the animals you
might see there.
Set-up: Set up a short video presentation of one of the following
topics: penguins, Antarctica, Arctic explorations. (Examples
include: National Geographic's Antarctic Wildlife Adventure (1990);
Video National Geographic's Arctic Kingdom, Life at the Edge (1996); and
Antarctica, An Adventure of a Different Nature (IMAX), 1991.
Activity: Watch the video clip. Write down 5 fascinating facts that
you never knew before.
Set-up: Display a collection of photos and nonfiction books about
penguins. If available, include stuffed animal penguins or penguin
dolls.
Penguins Activity: Quickly preview these materials by reading the table of
contents, the headings and subheadings, maps, photos, and
glossary. Don't try to read all the details in the books. This should
be done very quickly. Note three questions that you have about
penguins.
Set-up: Post a large picture of a question mark with the title:
Fantasy Pet.
Fantasy Pet
Activity: Create an imaginary pet. Draw a picture of your pet and
write about the habitat (natural home) your pet would desire.
Set-up: Display a collection of playbills from theater productions.
(If none are available, create a mock playbill with construction
paper.)
Activity: A playbill is a pamphlet usually given to the audience of a
Playbill play or theater performance. Study the playbills and answer the
following questions:
· What information is included in a playbill?
· What is the purpose of a playbill?
· If you could create your own playbill for a play, what OTHER
information or visuals would you include?
Set-up: Provide a globe and a collection of maps.
Maps and Globes Activity: Locate faraway places you would like to travel to on the
globe and on a map. Make a "dream journey" of the places you
would like to visit. Write about this dream journey, listing the
places you wish to visit.
Bringing Inferences into Your Classroom
Introduce and Define

When we talk about making inferences, we really mean going beyond the literal information
provided, in order to draw a conclusion. Students may not understand the term inference but
they will understand what it means to read, think, decide, and answer with their own conclusions
based on evidence. Introduce the word conclusion and have students give some examples of
conclusions people make daily (such as why the team won the game, or why the movie was
exciting). Explain that an excellent reading strategy is to read and stop from time to time to
think and draw one's own conclusions about what was read. Explain that after reading, the
reader has all the facts or knows what has happened in a story. This is when he or she can
draw a conclusion. Explain that drawing a conclusion is like making a final decision based on
evidence. Have the class suggest some conclusions that they have drawn. (Examples could
be: "pets add to people's enjoyment of life," or "performers do better when they practice
beforehand." Ask students to think of the evidence that caused them to draw those
conclusions.)
Practice Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions

Draw a two-column chart on the board. Label the first column evidence, and the second
conclusion. Ask students to think of common fairy tales they have read. Have them list some
characters and some conclusions about those characters. Write these in the conclusions
column. (Provide an example such as: the wolf is mean and nasty.) Then, have students
volunteer the evidence they recall from the story that proves or disproves their conclusion.
(Example: the wolf blew the pig's house down.) Write this in the evidence column. Discuss
how the conclusion is based on the evidence given in the story.
Apply
Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge of making inferences and drawing
conclusions.
· Have each student draw a two-column, five-row chart.
· Have students fill in the provided information from the story.
Evidence Conclusion
Captain Cook is sad and mopey.
There are holes in the box. The Poppers need
to make holes in the refrigerator door.
Penguins need a very cold climate.
The Poppers do not have a lot of money.
· Have students fill in either the missing conclusion or the missing evidence to match the
information already given.
· When students have completed their charts, draw a large chart on the board with the information
given and have students volunteer their answers for the missing boxes.
· Discuss, as a group, how making inferences and drawing conclusions helps a reader's
comprehension.

Bringing Homophones into Your Classroom
Introduce and Define

Introduce the concept of homophones by first writing the following words on the board: to,
too, two, their, there, they're, plane, plain, and bear, bare. Define the word homophone.
Explain that a homophone (sometimes inaccurately called a homonym) is a word that is
pronounced like another word (or words) but has a different spelling and meaning. Ask
students to read the list aloud and accept any volunteered additions. Point out that mixing up
words that are homophones can sometimes create humor. You may wish to read a few
paragraphs from a book in the Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish to illustrate this fact.
Since the words will sound the same when read aloud, write the homophones on the board
when you reach one in the text. This way, students can see how the character, Amelia,
always mixes up her homophones.
Practice
To practice distinguishing homophones:
· Divide students into teams of four or five. Have the members of each team list as many
homophones as they can in ten minutes. Give a prize for the team that creates the longest
list of homophones.
· Combine each group's list into one class list of homophones. Write the words on a long
sheet of butcher paper or poster board. Post the paper in the classroom. Encourage
students to add to the list on a daily basis when they think of additional words that fit the
definition of a homophone. Post the definition for homophones above the list.
Apply
To provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge of homophone usage to
authentic writing and reading, engage them in the following peer-editing activity:
· Have each student write a short story. In the story, have students deliberately use a few
homophones incorrectly.
· Pair students in twos. Instruct students to read and edit their peer's piece of writing. Have
students edit the piece by replacing the incorrect homophones.
· Encourage students to independently read another book in the Amelia Bedelia series.
· While reading, have students keep a list of all the homophones Amelia mixes up.
· Have students share their lists with the class and discuss the trouble Amelia gets into
because of her confusions.

Bringing Personification into Your Classroom
Personification - an example of figurative language

Introduce personification by first introducing figurative language. Explain to students that
oftentimes when we speak and when we write, we use expressions and phrases that don't
mean exactly what they say—this is figurative language. Provide students with common
examples of figurative language, like It rained cats and dogs; He's as strong as a bull; The car
screamed down the street; My hands are freezing!; and The wind whistled. Discuss how
these figurative expressions have meaning beyond the literal words, and identify the implied
meaning in each example. Then, have students work in pairs to brainstorm figurative
expressions and phrases they know and/or use. Have students present their lists to the class.
Personification - a definition
Write the word personification on the board. Have students identify the word they see within
the word and tell them that this is a clue to the definition of the word. After students have
identified the word person, circle the word person in personification. Then provide students
with a definition for personification (giving non-human things human characteristics or
actions). Explain that the word person is a clue because personification is about making
something seem human (or person-like) that isn't. Provide a couple of easy-to-understand
examples of personification to support the definition (The mountain reached into the sky; The
sad house wanted a friend; The ocean hollered into the night).
Personification - a writer's trick

Explain to students that writers use personification to make their writing more interesting.
Personification can be used to make writing more visual, more entertaining, and more specific.
Personification can also be used to set a mood-like happy, sad, mad, and scared. Give students
the opportunity to create and appreciate personification by engaging them in the following
classroom activity:
· Collect a bag of leaves. In front of the class, stand on a chair or stool and hold the bag as high
as possible above the ground. Tell students to carefully watch what happens next. Slowly dump
the leaves from the bag and let them fall to the ground.
· Write the following sentence on the board: The leaves fell to the ground. Tell students to change
the underlined word to a word or phrase that better tells what they saw as they watched the
leaves fall to the ground. Challenge students to use personification in their descriptions. Allow
students time to create their descriptions. (You may opt to have students work in pairs.)
· Have students write their descriptions on the board. Go through each one and applaud all
efforts. Specifically address the descriptions with personification and reemphasize how they are
personification. For example, if a description reads The leaves chased each other to the ground ,
explain that chase is a human action—leaves can't really chase each other, so it's personification.
· If students have difficulty creating personified descriptions, you may offer all or some of the
following examples: The leaves danced to the ground; The leaves skipped to the ground; The
leaves played ring-around-the-rosy on their way to the ground; and The leaves swam to the ground.
· As a class, read and discuss a short poem containing personification. (Carl Sandburg's The Fog
will work well.) Have students identify the use of personification and then have them try to draw
a conclusion about why the author chose to use it in the way that he or she did.

Laying the Tracks for the Final Destination
Teacher Guide for Go the Distance
To best prepare your students for the Go the Distance project, you may supply them with the
following background information and materials:
Background Information:
Mr. Popper's dream came true. He and the penguins accompanied
Admiral Drake on the polar expedition to the Arctic. The Arctic
environment and animals are different from those in the Antarctic.
There are many types of fascinating animals who make their homes in
the Arctic.
This final project will focus on learning more about penguins or the
animals of the Arctic. Students will imagine that they have gone along
with Mr. Popper on his journey.
Materials:
You may wish to have the following available:
· library books and videos on these topics: the Arctic and Antarctica, animals associated with these
locations, polar expeditions, animal habitats, and books such as the ones listed in Future Travels
· maps and a globe
· examples of baseball cards and postcards (to illustrate the format of the assignment)
· Internet access for research
· cardboard for the creation of postcards and animal cards, scissors, writing paper, pencils, pens,
markers
I. Students will choose one of the following projects:
Path A: Students will research various types of penguins, creating different cardboard
"penguin cards" that describe four types of penguins.
or
Path B: Students will research four different animals that live in the Arctic. They will create
postcards of these.
II. Students will write a letter to Mrs. Popper and the children, describing their imagined
adventure accompanying Mr. Popper to the Arctic.
III. Share
Students will share their creations and letters with the rest of the class. You may wish to assist
students in creating a class bulletin board.
Assessment: If you use a standard project-based rubric in your classroom, share this with
students ahead of time. If you use a different form of assessment, make sure students are
aware of the criteria.

Animals 10
The Road Home
Parent Page
What's New? Action Items

In class, your child is reading Nature Walk:
selections from the fictional Take a walk in your
book, Mr. Popper's community and identify the
Penguins, by Richard and habitats of various animals.
Florence Atwater. Discuss with your child the
particular needs of each
This book, first published in animal.
1938, is a classic. It's the Book Bag
Zoo or Aquarium Visit:
story of Mr. Popper, a small- The following are books that
If you have a zoo or
town painter who dreams of you may want to obtain from
aquarium nearby, take a trip
faraway places, such as the library and read with
there and see live penguins
Antarctica. When two your child.
or other animals from the
penguins are sent to him
Antarctic or Arctic (such as
from Antarctica and then
polar bears). If no facility is
multiply, the family must Cinderella Penguin or
nearby, you can take a
drastically change its lifestyle The Little Glass Flipper
"virtual" research voyage on
to accommodate the birds. as told by Janet Perlman
the Internet.
Then they begin some real
An Original Booklet: This humorous adaptation of
adventures with a twelve- the familiar fairy tale
penguin performing act. Have your child make a includes characters that are
"How to Take Care of This all penguins.
Pet" booklet, describing a ---------------------
pet's needs. James Herriot's Treasury
for Children: Warm and
Future Adventure
Joyful Tales by the Author
Scrapbook: of Every Living Thing
Encourage your child to by James Herriot
make a scrapbook. Use
This is a beautifully
photographs cut from
illustrated picture book of
magazines that represent selections of animal stories
their dreams for future from a Yorkshire
adventures. veterinarian.
Homework:

Travel Guide
Answer Key
Student Work Pages 15-16 Student Work Pages 17-18 Student Work Page 19
Information Exploration Who Lives Here? Location Exploration
1a. Guide words will vary. Part I 1. Partner to verify

1b. Guide words. penguin - Antarctica 2. Partner to verify
Guide words help you locate a word polar bear - the Arctic 3. Partner to verify
more quickly. lizard - a desert 4. Answers will vary.
2. deer alligator - swamp 5. Antarctica
3. groundhog deer - forest 6. Answers will vary. Verify student
4. sea gull turtle - pond work.
5. pronunciation symbols prairie dog - hills and plains
6. moo monkey - jungle
7. accent this syllable 1. food 2. air 3. water
8. Answers will vary.
9. Answers will vary. Parts II: Answers will vary. Verify
10. Answers will vary. student work.
Student Work Pages 20-21 Student Work Pages 22-23 Student Work Page 24
You Decide Don't Let Your Ears Fool You The World Comes Alive With
1. any African animal Words
Drawings will vary. Verify student
2. Africa, keep hands away from box,
work. 1. stars
open at once, air holes, hay
3. Answers will vary, but may include: line 2: tale-tail 2. danced
a bicycle, motorcycle, snow mobile, line 2: two-to 3. Answers will vary. Verify student
or jet ski. line 3: Eye-I work.
4. place to sit down, place for hands, line 3: blew-blue
safety rules, helmet line3: I-eye 2-4. Answers will vary. Verify student
5. polar bear line 4: bye-by work.
6. lived in the Arctic, color of snow, live line 5: flu-flew
on land, good swimmers line 7: pear-pair
7. penguins need air line 8: knight-night
8. Possible answer: They used ice.
line 9: four-for
9. They did not have TV or computers. (Student should underline the first word of
10. Answers will vary. Verify student each pair in the poem and rewrite the poem
work. using the second word in each pair.)
Assessment of Writing
There are many opportunities for
students to produce original writing
throughout the unit. When
assessing student writing, use your
state's standard writing rubric or a
rubric that you have developed for
your class. It is best if students are
familiar with the rubric and
understand each of the criteria on
the rubric and the method used for
arriving at a score.
Similarly, project-based activities
and assessments can be scored
with a project-based rubric with
which the students are familiar.

Future Travels
The various themes in Mr. Popper's Penguins present avenues for extension of
this unit through books of different genres. Using the story as a springboard,
students will enjoy reading both fiction and nonfiction books related to the story.
The following are suggestions to pair with the novel. These can be acquired
ahead of time to use in the classroom library, to assign students to literature
circles, or as a transition into a new theme.
Launch a Study of Penguins

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
(Ages 7-9) This fictional story is one in a series about a penguin that marches to
his own drummer. His tacky dress and bad manners make him an individual
and he is also quite clever. Tacky has many adventures and these can be
found in the books: Three Cheers for Tacky, Tacky The Emperor, and Tacky in
Trouble, all by Helen Lester.
The Penguin, a Funny Bird by Beatrice Fontanel

(Ages 5-8) The book explores penguin habits, family life, characteristics, and the
penguin's natural habitat. A year in the life of King penguins is presented. The
book includes beautiful photographs.
Arctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra

(Ages 5-8) This is a collection of songs and poems about the Antarctic and the
animals that live there. The poems are fun, but also include factual information.
The book includes rhymes such as: "A Hatchling's Song," "My Father's Feet,"
"Penguin's First Swim," and "Predator Riddles."
Plenty of Penguins (Hello Reader Science Series) by Sonia W. Black

(Ages 4-8)The book includes information about different types of penguins. It
also gives similarities and differences between penguins and humans.

Future Travels
Launch a Study of The Arctic, the Antarctic, and Habitats

Seven Weeks on an Iceberg: A Journey to the Coldest Place on the Planet,
Antarctica by Keith R. Potter, Ken Fulk, and Jonathan Chester
(Ages 6-9) This book includes a wealth of information about penguins that is
presented in a friendly, yet informative style as cartoon characters, King and
Queen Penguin, travel on an iceberg to Antarctica. Full-color photographs
describe 17 types of penguins and their way of life.
Ice Continent: A Story of Antarctica by Louise O. Young

(Ages 6-9) This is available in a book and cassette package. It lyrically
illustrates the environment of Antarctica and the animals that live in that habitat.
The cassette includes both narration and animal sounds that accompany the
story.
Antarctica by Helen Cowcher

(Ages 5-8) The author describes the daily lives and trials of the Emperor
penguins, Adelie penguins, and seals during one Antarctic winter. This book
may be slightly below grade level, but includes worthwhile information.
Launch a Study of Exotic Pets

The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
(Ages 4-8) A boy finds a salamander and then turns his bedroom into the perfect
salamander environment.
Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett

(Ages 4-8) Annie loses her cat and tries to make friends with many woodland
animals.
Your Goats: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing by Gail Damerow

(Ages 9-12) This book tells the reader about many different types of goats and
how to buy, raise, and show them.
Wolves by Semour Simon

(Ages 4-8) This book explains the characteristics of wolves, their relationship to
one another, and their relationship to humans.

Name Date
Dictionary Exploration
Dictionaries are great tools! In a dictionary you
can find information that helps you understand
what you are reading. Complete the activities
below using a simple dictionary.
Directions: Look up the words below. Answer each question.
caribou marmot puffin
1a. Look at the top of the page of your dictionary where you found the word
marmot. Write the word that is at the very top of that page.
1b. Notice the words at the top of other pages. What are these words for?
2. Which of these is most like a caribou?
deer mouse squirrel
3. A marmot is most like which animal?
bear groundhog pig
4. A puffin is most like which animal?
deer wolf sea gull

Animals 15
Name Date
5. If you do not know how to say the words, caribou, marmot, or puffin, where
can you look in the dictionary?
index pronunciation symbols glossary
6. If you say the word caribou out loud, which word would it rhyme with?
how moo loud
7. You find this symbol
a contraction
´ after the first syllable of a word. What does it mean?
accent this syllable make two words
8. Glance over a page in the dictionary. Find a word you do not know. Write
the word and its definition below.
word:
definition:
9. Do you see any words in the definition that you do not know? If you do, look
up the definitions of these words. Write the words below.
Words I do not know:
10. When reading, why might you have problems if you skip many words you do
not understand?

Animals 16
Who Lives Here?
Name Date
Part I
Directions: Animals live in different places according to their needs. Draw a
line to match each animal with its home.
Animal Homes
penguin desert
polar bear forest
lizard swamp
alligator the Arctic
deer jungle
turtle pond
prairie dog Antarctica
monkey hills and plains
What are three simple things that almost all animals need?
1.
2.
3.

Animals 17
Who Lives Here?
Name Date
Part II
Directions: Choose two animals. Write their names on the lines below the two circles. Think of as many
things as you can that are the same and different about the animals. In the outside of the circles, write three
ways that these animals are different. In the center, write three ways that these animals are the same. For
example, if you chose cats and dogs, both of these need water to live, so you would write, "need water to
live" in the center.
Animals 18
Location Exploration
Study Skills Activity: Using Maps and Globes
Name Date
Globe or Atlas Exploration

Explore a globe or an atlas! On a globe or in an atlas,
you can find locations. You can see how far different
places are from where you live. Complete the
activities below using a globe or an atlas.
Directions: Ask your teacher to show you a globe or an atlas. With a partner,
find and put your finger on the places listed below. Have your partner check
your work and then check the work of your partner.
1. The North Pole
2. The South Pole
3. The country where you live.
4. Write two things you noticed by finding these three places. (This can be
anything you observed while using the globe or atlas.)
5. Look on a globe or a map. Find the name of the place the penguins are from
in the story. Point to it and write it below.
6. Write two sentences telling how using a globe or map could help you when
you are reading and you come upon the name of a strange country.

Animals 19
You Decide
Name Date
Directions: Read the following. Draw your own conclusion.

1. It arrives in a box from Africa. The box has the words: "Keep Hands Away
from Box" and "Open at Once" written on it. There are air holes punched in
the box. The first layer in the box is hay.
Draw your own conclusion. What is in the box?
Draw it in the box and write a label.
2. Underline the words in the paragraph above that made you draw that conclusion.
3. On this thing, there is a place to sit down and a place for your hands. When
using this, you should obey safety rules and wear a helmet on your head.
Draw your own conclusion. What is in the box?

Animals 20
You Decide
Name Date
5. It lives in the Arctic and is quite large. It is the color of snow. It lives on land,
but is a good swimmer.
Draw your own conclusion. What is this?
Directions: Read and think about the sentences. Write your own conclusion
under each. If you need more room, use the back of the page.
7. Why do you think holes were punched in the box that Mr. Popper received?
8. How do you think people kept food cold before there was electricity?
9. Why do you think Mr. Popper learns about penguins and explorations from the
radio, books, and movies? Why doesn't he just watch T.V. or look up the
information on a Web site?
10. Give an example of something in Mr. Popper's Penguins that could not be a
fact. What makes you think that this could not be true?

Animals 21
Don't Let Your Ears Fool You
Name Date
Directions: Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently and
have different meanings. Draw a picture for each homophone below. Use a
dictionary if you need help.
blew blue
night knight
pear pair

Animals 22
Don't Let Your Ears Fool You
Name Date
Directions: Read the poem. Underline all of the incorrect homophones. See if
you can find all 10 incorrect homophones.
My Arctic Friend
It all happened one night I remember it well

It's a little tail I don't mind two tell
Eye saw a penguin with a big blew I

It winked at me as it passed on bye
I tried to stop it, but off it flu

I wondered if it was looking for the zoo
As I followed it closely, a strange pear came into sight

It was two more penguins! Oh what a knight!
I saw that my arctic friend had found what he was looking four -
He found his family. Who could want anything more?
Directions: Rewrite the poem using the correct homophones.

Animals 23
The World Comes Alive with Words
Language Analysis Activity: Personification
Name Date
Personification is giving human

qualities or actions to non-human
things.
Directions: Read the short poem. Underline the example of personification.

Then answer the questions that follow.
As Mrs. Popper kissed the penguins goodbye,

the stars danced across the sky.
1. What non-human thing(s) is performing a human action?
2. What action is being performed by the non-human thing or things?
3. What image does this example of personification bring to your mind? In other
words, what picture do you see in your mind?
Directions: Create some of your own examples of personification. Replace the

word or words in parentheses in each sentence with a human action. Write the
word on the line next to each sentence. The first one is done for you.
1. The snow (made a soft noise) as it came down from the sky. whispered
2. The old car (made a noise).
3. A large wind (blew against) the house.
4. As it took off, the plane (made a very loud noise).
Take A Step Beyond

Sometimes writers personify animals in stories by making them act like humans. Think
about Mr. Popper's Penguins. Make a list of all of the ways his penguins act like humans.

Animals 24
Me, Myself, and My Question-Filled Quest
Metacognition Activity
Name Date
Think about your reading process. What do you do when you come across a
word that you don't know? Some people try to figure out an unknown word from
the other words around the word. Others reach for a dictionary to find out the
exact meaning of the word. Think about how you read and ask yourself, "What
do I do?"
1. Is it important to understand what you are reading? Why or why not?
2. When you are reading and you don't know the meaning of a word, what do
you do?
3. Do you think it is useful to try to figure out a word from the words around it?
When would you do this? When would you not do this?
4. When do you think it is important to go to a dictionary or glossary for the full

meaning of a word? Why?

Animals 25
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Writing Activity
Name Date
Step into the feet of one of the characters from the story by
answering one of the questions below. Be sure to explain your
answer with examples from the story.
Pretend you are Pretend you are Pretend you are

Captain Cook. Mrs. Popper. Mr. Popper.
How do you change How does your life How do feel when
after Greta arrives at change after Greta Captain Cook is very
the Popper house? comes to live at your sick? Why?
house?

Animals 26
On the Write Path
Writing Activity
Name Date
Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, respond to two of the prompts below.
1. Mr. and Mrs. Popper have to make some changes in their lives in order to take
good care of the penguins. Imagine that you are going on a vacation and
leaving your pet with a friend while you are gone. Write directions or
instructions for your friend on how to take care of your pet. Or, write
instructions for how to take care of Mr. Popper's penguins.
Suggested Pre-Writing: list, web diagram
2. Before Mr. Popper receives the penguins, he daydreams about traveling to

faraway places. He sees movies and reads books about the Arctic and
Antarctic. Write about some of the things you daydream of doing. How did
you learn about these?
Suggested Pre-Writing: web diagram
3. Mr. Popper's Penguins is fiction, not a true story. In the story, Mr. Popper
receives a crate of penguins from the Arctic. If you wanted to own a penguin as
a pet, do you think you would be allowed to get and keep one in your
community? Why or why not? What types of problems would be involved?
4. In the story, the author writes as if the penguins have feelings. How does the
story lead readers to believe that penguins have thoughts and emotions like
humans?

Animals 27
Go the Distance
Culminating Project
Name Date
It's your turn to be the explorer!

Choose an exploration path below.
Mr. Popper is a daydreamer. He dreams about traveling to the North or South

Pole. At the end of the book, he and the penguins travel with Admiral Drake to
the North Pole.
Pretend you are going with them on their Arctic exploration. You can research
and learn more about penguins or you can choose to learn more about the
different types of animals that they will see when they arrive in the Arctic.
Whichever path you choose, be sure and write to Mrs. Popper and the children
and tell them what you have found.
I. Choose one of the following research paths.
Path A: Research penguins

You might be interested to know that there at least 17 different types of
penguins! They live in different parts of the world. They have some interesting
names including:
King penguins
Adelie penguins
Gentee penguins
Chinstrap penguins
Macaroni penguins
A. Make a list of some questions that you have about penguins.
B. Use encyclopedias, library books, and the Internet to find the answers to your
questions. Ask your teacher for suggested Web sites.

Animals 28
Go the Distance
Culminating Project
C. Make four different cardboard "penguin cards" (like baseball cards). Each card
should show a different type of penguin. On the front of your card, draw a picture
of one type of penguin with the name below it. On the back of your card, write a
paragraph about this bird.
or
Path B: Learn about animals at the North Pole
Mr. Popper and the penguins go with Admiral Drake because the admiral says there
are no penguins at the North Pole. The Popper penguins would be the first penguin
colony there. However, there were many other kinds of animals already there.
Some of the animals include:
reindeer marmot seal
polar bear arctic fox whale
snowy owl musk ox puffin
walrus
A. Research animals of the North Pole. Use encyclopedias, library books, and the
Internet to find out what they are. Ask your teacher for suggested Web sites.
B. Choose four animals of the North Pole. Find out some interesting facts about
each one.
C. Create four cardboard postcards that you can send to the Poppers back home.
Draw a picture of the animal on the front. Label it. Write some interesting facts
about the animal on the back.
II. Write to Mrs. Popper, Bill, and Janie

Mrs. Popper and the children have to stay in the town of Stillwater while Mr. Popper
travels. Pretend you go along on the expedition and have a great adventure.
Write the Poppers a letter and tell themwhat the North Pole really looks like and
what you have experienced.
Revision Hint: In your writing, make sure you pay attention to any homophones
and use them correctly. Did you use the word "hear" when you really meant to use
the word "here"?
III. Share
Share your penguin cards, animal postcards, and letters to the Poppers with the
rest of the class.

Animals 29

Passports To Knowledge: Mr. Popper's Penguins

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Copyright © 1938 by Carroll Atwater Bishop.

Taking the Next Step

Taking the Next Step

Taking the Next Step

Laying the Tracks for the Final Destination

The Road Home

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals

Who Lives Here?

Don’t Let Your Ears Fool You

The World Comes Alive with Words

Me, Myself, and My Question-Filled Quest

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

On the Write Path

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc.

Anchored on selections from a classic children's fiction book, Mr. Popper's

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 1

Mr. Popper is a daydreamer when not working at his painting and

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 2

a high-ranking, commissioned officer in

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 3

a condition of being dazed, usually from

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 4

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 5

Introduce and Define

Practice Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 7

Introduce and Define

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 8

Personification - an example of figurative language

Personification - a writer's trick

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 9

I. Students will choose one of the following projects:

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc.

What's New? Action Items

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 11

1a. Guide words will vary. Part I 1. Partner to verify

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 12

Launch a Study of Penguins

The Penguin, a Funny Bird by Beatrice Fontanel

Arctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra

Plenty of Penguins (Hello Reader Science Series) by Sonia W. Black

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 13

Launch a Study of The Arctic, the Antarctic, and Habitats

Ice Continent: A Story of Antarctica by Louise O. Young

Antarctica by Helen Cowcher

Launch a Study of Exotic Pets

Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett

Your Goats: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing by Gail Damerow

Wolves by Semour Simon

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc. Animals 14

Directions: Look up the words below. Answer each question.

caribou marmot puffin

2. Which of these is most like a caribou?

deer mouse squirrel

3. A marmot is most like which animal?

bear groundhog pig

4. A puffin is most like which animal?

deer wolf sea gull

© 2003 CompassLearning, Inc.

index pronunciation symbols glossary

how moo loud

7. You find this symbol