Image of a puffin flying
Arterra Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo (Flying Puffin); Alex Mustard/2020VISION/NPL/Minden Pictures (Swimming); Shutterstock.com (Globe); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (Eating); SCOTLAND: The Big Picture/NaturePL.com (Puffling); John Gibbens/Blue Planet Archive (Cliff); © Chris Linder (Lost)
Background Builder,

What Is a Puffin?

These birds look a bit like penguins. But they are puffins. Find out more. Then read about a town that rescues them.

From the December 2024/January 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will build background information about puffins to prepare for the Big Read-Aloud.

Lexiles: 390L
Featured Skill: Vocabulary, Main Idea,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1 Features of print RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and images RI.1.7 Use visuals SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative discussions with peers and adults SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read-aloud
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (13) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and undergo processes that help them interact and survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) identify the external structures of different animals and compare how those structures help different animals live, move, and meet basic needs for survival; (C) compare ways that young animals resemble their parents.
  • Social Studies
    (5) Geography. The student understands physical and human characteristics of place to better understand their community and the world around them. The student is expected to: (A) identify and describe the physical characteristics of place such as landforms, bodies of water, Earth’s resources, and weather.

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1. Puffins are seabirds.

They are birds that spend most of their time in the ocean. They can swim and fly. They live in cold waters.

2. They eat fish.

Puffins dive in the water to catch fish. They can hold 20 fish at a time in their beak!

3. Baby puffins are called pufflings.

They are not colorful like adult puffins. Pufflings are dark gray. They are small and fluffy.

4. Baby puffins hatch on cliffs.

Puffins make their nests on tall cliffs by the sea. That is where they have their babies. When the babies are old enough, they fly to the ocean. 

Bye-bye, pufflings!

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Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
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Slideshows (1)
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Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Key details

Science Focus

Animal behavior

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue: “Big Read-Aloud: How to Save a Baby Puffin”
  • Suggested books: Puffin by Martin Jenkins, Puffin Peter by Petr Horáček

Before-Reading Resources

  • Vocabulary slideshow (5 minutes) seabirds, beaks, cliffs

Suggested Reading Focus

Build background knowledge (30 minutes)

  • Activate children’s background knowledge by asking them if they know what a puffin is.
  • Preview the article by pointing out the nonfiction text features. Ask students what they notice about the pictures.
  • Read the article. Stop to check for comprehension with each of the bolded vocabulary words.
  • Ask students to recall something they learned from the words or pictures in the article. Summarize their learning through discussion or on chart paper.

After-Reading Skills Practice

Skills: Research practice (15 minutes)

Text-to-Speech