Goals:
1. Students will become familiar with whale and ocean terminology.
2. Students will successfully calculate various whale sizes and speeds.
Resources:
1. Whale word problems taken from:
2. Definitions taken from
http://www.graysreef.nos.noaa.gov
Teacher Background:
All aspects of teacher background dealing with whales can be located via Whale Times, which can be found at http://www.whaletimes.org
Time: This lesson will take three hours to complete. The math whale word problems will take about one hour to complete and discuss. The creation and exchange of the word search will then take approximately two hours.
Procedure:
Step 1- Students will divide into small groups and work on the whale word problems together.
Whale word problems-
1. A Bowhead whale is named for it's distinctive bow-shaped skull, which is 40% of the whale's total body length. The average Bowhead whale is about 16m. How long in meters is the Bowhead's distinctive skill?
2. One Bowhead whale weighed 80 tons. How many pounds does this Bowhead whale weigh? (Remember 1 ton = 2000 pounds)
3. In 1935 there were 50,000 Bowhead whales. In 1997 there were 7,800 Bowhead whales. How many more Bowhead whales were there in 1935 compared to 1997? On average how many Bowhead whales were lost each year?
4. The female Gray whale can grow to a length of 50ft. How many of you would it take to be the length of a female Gray whale?
5. There are eight Gray whales in a pod. The average weight of a Gray whale is 32 tons. How much does the entire pod weigh in tons? How much does the entire pod weigh in pounds?
Step 2- Students will be introduced to word search puzzles. Then using the glossary of terms given below, students will create their own word search puzzles.
BALEEN-whalebone, the material in the mouths of some whales, which is used to strain food from the water.
CALLOSITIES-white, crusty growths found on the heads of right whales.
CALVES-young, immature whales
CARNIVORES-animals that only eat other animals.
CARTILAGE-material that makes up the skeleton of sharks and their relatives
DEPOSIT FEEDER-animals that feed on decaying organic matter found on the bottom.
DETRITUS-decomposing plant and animal matter; an important food source for many animals.
DORSAL-the upper surface of an animal or the surface where the spinal chord is located.
ENDANGERED-designating plants and animals that are on the brink of extinction.
EXTINCTION-the total disappearance of a species of animal or plant.
FILTER FEEDERS- animals, which eat by filtering small food particles from the water.
FOOD CHAIN-the natural feeding sequence within a community from lower to higher trophic levels.
HERBIVORES-animals that eat only plants.
JUVENILE-the immature phase of an animal.
LATERAL LINE-a curved line of fluid-filled sacs located on the sides of fished and used to sense vibrations in the water.
MAMMALS-the class of vertebrate animals, including humans, that have hair, are warm-blooded and nurse young with mammary glands.
MATRIX-the jelly-like substance containing the spicules and skeletal parts of a sponge.
MELON-enlarged forehead of the toothed whales; which is used to detect underwater objects.
ORGAN-a differentiated part of an organism that performs a specific function.
PELAGIC-living in the open ocean
PHYLUM-a large group of animals or plants related by a few common characteristics.
PLANKTON-animals and plants, which drift with ocean currents - many are microscopic.
POD-a group of whales traveling together.
PORPOISES- toothed whales related to dolphins and killer whales.
PREDATOR-an animal, which kills other animals for food.
PREY- animals caught and eaten by other animals.
RAYS-relatives of sharks that are flattened dorso-ventrally for bottom-dwelling.
SCAVENGERS- animals that eat dead, decaying animals.
SESSILE-plants or animals that permanently attach themselves to an object or surface.
SONAR- sound waves used to detect underwater objects.
SPECIES-animals or plants that are the most alike in the classification system.
TISSUE-an aggression of specialized cells with a similar function (e.g. brain tissue)
Assessment:
Students will be given appropriate points for the answers they give for each of the whale word problems. They will also be given a grade for their level of participation with in the group and overall effort on final word search project.
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= Did not work well with the group
4 points= Student contributed to solving the problems at all times
3 points= Student contributed to solving the problems most of the time
2 points= Student contributed to solving the problems some of the time
1 point= Student does not contribute to solving the problem
Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:
1. Math- Solving the word problems enhance the students math skills.
2. Science- Students will learn whale and ocean information and facts from the word problems and glossary terminology.
3. Communication Arts- Students will be orally communicating in small group settings, which will enhance their confidence, verbal speaking skills, and oral organization of their thoughts.
Possible Extensions:
1. Read the novel, Venus Among the Fishes by Scott O'Dell, which demonstrates the speed and hunting techniques of killer whales. (ISBN # o-440-41175-0)
2. Students could create their own word problems after researching more whale information.
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