Passionate about penguins

Published 12:21 pm Saturday, January 9, 2010

You do not want to mess around with an Emperor Penguin.

That’s what Aaron Pierson told a group of wide-eyed third, fourth and fifth-graders at Austin Catholic Elementary Friday.

Pierson was visiting from the Science Museum of Minnesota as a part of a program that brings the museum into classrooms. Pierson gave a presentation about sound to kindergarten, first and second grade students. He taught sixth, seventh and eighth graders about the brain, and third through fourth-graders about penguins — and everything else on Antarctica.

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“It’s really neat,” fourth grade teacher Joan Hagen said. “I think this is a really good experience for the students.”

Pierson gave an interactive lesson, showing kids all about the coldest, windiest, driest and highest continent on earth.

Little-known facts that drew the most “oohs” and “aahs” from the very captive audience include the following: Negative 129 degrees is the coldest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica; It is the tallest continent on earth because the snow never melts, but it is compacted and sometimes ice caves occur; There are dry valleys in which it has not rained or snowed in more than 4 million years; the Blue Whale is the largest animal that has ever lived — at 110 feet long — and they swim around Antarctica.

The kids were also quite interested to see slides of several different penguin species.

“They are always everybody’s favorite,” Pierson said.

He had a true-to-life size, blow-up Emperor Penguin that stood about four feet tall.

Another fun fact kids enjoyed was that penguins can hold their breath for 20 minutes.

Pierson told one proud student, who could hold his breath for 30 seconds that, “That’s actually pretty good — for a human.”

Only scientific explorers and researchers, as well as a few educated tourists, are allowed to visit the continent.

Pierson, who hopes to visit Antarctica himself someday, told students if they are interested in going too, they’ve got to nurture their interest and keep up with math and science along the way.

Pierson tours schools all over Minnesota and Wisconsin, toting a variety of science lessons.

“Some students don’t get to visit the Science Museum in person, so it’s really fun and important to do this,” he said.