Giants and Ice: teacher key

Penguins, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. Read how the emperor penguin lives on sea ice. As of November 2026, it is listed as at risk of extinction.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. A fossil Kumimanu stood about 1.65 meters tall. An adult emperor stands about 1.1 meters. About how much taller was the fossil?
   • About 0.55 meters (answer)
   • About 2.75 meters
   • About 1.1 meters
2. What caused the loss of more than 10,000 emperor chicks at one colony in 2016?
   • A hungry seal
   • Ice dissolved too soon (answer)
   • A long winter
3. What is illegal in Antarctica under the Antarctic Treaty System?
   • Swimming near penguins
   • Harming a penguin or its eggs (answer)
   • Visiting a colony
4. Which activity hurt some penguin populations long ago?
   • Taking eggs for food (answer)
   • Building nests
   • Diving deep
5. What does at risk of extinction mean?
   • Likely to grow fast
   • Able to fly
   • In danger of dying out (answer)

Words

• fossil: old remains
• breed: raise young
• extinction: dying out
• illegal: against the law
• indicators: signs