Link to Teacher Page

Introduction

Be ready to put your scuba gear on. You are about to dive into the ocean. You and your classmates will become experts on whales! You must see yourself as an oceanographer ready to research, organize and evaluate information about whales.

The Task

You and your classmates will use various resources in order to find out all kinds of exciting information about whales! Any information gathered from books, videos, learning centers or class discussions will be saved in yourwhale portfolio.

Resources

• Reference books
• Videos
• Whale learning center
• Dictionary: Spanish
• Journal (information and ideas collected over the month)
• Hyperstudio (Sea World Project - informational piece)
• Classmates (they too are becoming experts on whales)
• Whale folder:(information collected by the students)
• Computer and disk (1 disk per group)
• The Internet:
  1. Whale facts
  2. Killer Whales
  3. Places to write
  4. Wondering about whales
  5. Create a habitat
  6. A whale is not a fish
  7. Ballena Horobada
  8. La leyenda del sur. Costa Ballena
  9. Guia: La Ballena Orca

The Process

Look at all of the resources which are provided to you.

1. Begin collecting and organizing your information by doing the following:

• Participate in all class activities. (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
• Save written work and drawings in the whale portfolio.
• In groups of 3 or 4, create a hyperstudio stack which reflects what you have learned about the whales.

 

2. Suggested topics to choose from:

• Why whales are mammals and not fish.
• The differences between balean whales and toothed whales.
• Your favorite whale and why.
• The Killer Whale and some of its characteristics or adaptations.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on the folowing :

• Your participation in class assignments and class projects.
• Your willingness to use as many resources as possible in order to create your whale portfolios.
• Your group "hyperstudio presentation" completed.

Evaluated by: rubric

Conclusion

• How do you think whales feel about us humans?
• Imagine spending the day with a whale. Describe what your day would be like.
• If you could be a whale, which whale would you like to be and why?