The Electronic Whale
from The Year of The Gray Whale
FOR SEA: Marine Biology and Oceanography – Grade 7
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| Introduction to this curriculum
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| Introduction from FOR SEA Grade 7
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| FOR SEA Grade 7 Table of Contents
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The Long Journey
- 1. Big As Life
- After comparing the length of an adult California gray whale to real objects, students enlarge a pattern of a gray whale to life-size on their play ground or field.
- 2. A Whale Is Born – December 21
- Students use mapping skills to track the migration of gray whales as they begin the story line of the event-filled migration of a new calf and its mother.
- 3. The Electronic Whale
- Through a computer simulation, students follow gray whale migration, from summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to winter breeding and calving grounds in Mexico.
- 4. The Journey Begins – February 21
- Students design a research study which would provide additional information about the northern migration of the gray whale.
- 5. Swimming Northward – March 7
- The breathing and diving rhythm of gray whales is examined as students calculate average daily progress during migration.
- 6. Marine Mammal Adaptations: Diving Buoyancy
- Students discover what ratio of materials enables the whales they “create” to neither float too high nor sink too deep.
- 7. Whale Watching – December 10
- The recommended procedures for observing whales are revealed as students learn how to identify whales.
- 8. Protecting Whales – December 21
- A discussion of current whaling issues and the International Whaling Commission provide a springboard for student involvement.
- Production Credits
Below, you’ll find helpful resources for use with the above activities.
- Unit 1: Born
- Activity 1 Big as Life
- Laying out the grid images
- Root words
- Activity 2 A Whale Is Born – December 21
- Gray whale background information
- Gray whale fact sheet
- Whale and dolphin packs
- Unit 2: The Long Journey
- Activity 1 The Journey Begins – February 21
- How to find marine information
- Whale words
- Activity 3 Swimming Northward – March 7
- Gray whale swimming and breathing cycle
- Activity 6 Marine Mammal Diving Response – Bradycardia
- Kelp forest divers
- Unit 5: Follow That Whale
- Activity 1 Whale Watching – December 10
- Whale watching photo album
- Whale watching guidelines
- Watching whales
- Whale awareness zone
- Unit 7: Whales Count!
- Activity 3 Protecting Whales – December 21
- Point and Counterpoint – Native American whaling
- Activity 5 The Electronic Whale
- Killer whale fact sheet
- Beaufort wind scale
- Educator Guide to The Gray Whale Obstacle Course
- The Gray Whale Obstacle Course Viewing Guide
- Gray Whales on the Move
- Whale Adaptations
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