Goals:

1. The students will research the habitat of a whale.

    

2. The students will design an appropriate habitat for a whale.

    

3. The students will participate in a democratic vote on the habitat the whale will have.

Resources:

1. The whale that was used in "Walloping Whales"

2. The information about different whales from:

http://www.whaletimes.org

http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html

Materials:

Paper or posterboard

Paint

Markers

Colored Pencils

Crayons

Pencils

Teacher Background:

This activity does not require any prior knowledge of the teacher. It is left to the students to design the habitat.

Time: Approximately 4 hours. The time will be divided up into a few sections.

Procedure:

Step 1- The students will be divided into groups. There is no specific number, it is left to the teacher, but the groups should not be too large( more than 6 or 7 students).

Step 2- Each group will be given the information from the above stated websites. They will decide in their groups what type of habitat they would like to design. And then design a sample on a piece of paper or poster board.

Step 3- After each group is finished designing their habitat they will present it to the class.

Step 4- The class will then vote on the habitat they wish to create on a real life scale. The students will also determine what types of material they will need to create the habitat.

Step 5- The students will create the chosen habitat on a wall or other space in the room.

Assessment:

The students will be assessed on their group work and on their participation in the final product.

4 points= Worked well with the group all of the time

3 points= Worked well with the group most of the time

2 points= Worked well with the group some of the time

1 point= Had many problems working cooperatively with the group

4 points= Crucial to the creation- design, picking, painting/drawing etc. of the habitat

3 points= Imperative to the creation of the habitat

2 points= Important to the creation of the habitat

1 point= Did not contribute to the creation of the habitat

Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:

1. Communication Arts- The students will be orally communicating in a small group, which will enhance their confidence, verbal speaking skills, and oral organization of thoughts.

2. Art- The students are given the opportunity to create a habitat for a whale. They are allowed the freedom to chose what materials will be used and what design it will have.

Possible Extensions:

1. The students could enlarge the activity and create the habitats of other species in other areas of the building. They students could also label the various aspects of the habitat and present them to other classes in an informative presentation.

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