Science>Oceans>Marine Life>Whales Links, Videos, and Lesson Plans

1. A Whqale of a Difference – In this lesson, students research various perspectives on Japan’s commercial whaling industry and formulate position papers representing these views. Grades 6-12.
2. How Whales Hear – Students use scientific inquiry to learn about hearing. Inquiry involves asking a simple question, doing an investigation, answering the question, and presenting the results to others. Note that these three lessons should be presented in the order listed above. Grades 3-6.
3. Whale Blubber Lesson -Students examine the purpose of whale blubber and investigate  how we use materials to protect them from the cold. Grades 6-8.
4. Whale Watcher Game Lesson - In the Web-based game Whale Watcher, students take on the role of an Ocean Adventures expedition member in charge of filming various gray whale behaviors as the team follows the whales on their annual migration. Grades 6-10.
5. A Symphony of Whales: A book based on the largest whale rescue ever. A New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year; A Parents’ Choice Honor Book; Smithsonian’s Notable Books for Children. This site also includes sounds, recordings, workshop information and resources for educators, parents and students.
6. Right Whales and People - Students study the right whale. draw pictures of right whales and add commercial ships and other human activities to their drawings. They conclude by writing sentences explaining how the whales they have drawn might be affected by the human activities.
7. Charlotte, the Vermont Whale: A document created at the University of Vermont. It chronicles the finding and studies of a White Beluga Whale found 10 feet under the surface of the earth in Vermont.
8. Dive and Discover – The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announced the
   launch on March 27 of an Internet expedition in the central Indian Ocean.
9. Keiko the Killer Whale See what the star of “Free Willy” is up to!
10. Ocean Planet – Smithsonian: An Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.
11. Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui, Hawaii An international non-profit organization dedicated to saving our planet’s oceans and the life they contain.
12. Rescuing a Baby Beluga: A WebQuest for Upper Elementary Science Students, designed by Danielle Braccio, Eva Horn and Ellen Usher, University of Richmond, Virginia.
13. Sea World: Includes teacher guides and research information on various whales.
    South Austrailian Whale Centre at Victor Harbor Information on whales, dolphins, sea lions, sharks and little penguins.
14. The Flying Turtle: Ask Dr.Galapagos: Wonderful questions for exploration of whale facts from the Flying Turtle Science and Technology Exploration site.
15. The Marine Mammal Center A collection of information on marine mammals including whales.
16. The National Marine Mammal Laboratory’s Education Web Site Learn about marine mammals and the science and careers surrounding them.
17. The Never Ending Journey The Cyclic Migration of the Southern Humpback Whales. Photography by Trish Franklin, The Oceania Project © 2000. Text By Trish Franklin & Lyn Woolley.
18. The Virtual Whales Project Provides 3D Animation and sound environment for the visualization of the feeding of whales.
19. The Whale Club Increase your awareness towards marine mammals and the oceans they live in.
20. The Whale Museum Promotes stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research.
21. Whale Tales and Mermaids Storyteller Lynn Ruehlmann tells simple versions of some of the earliest myths about whales, along with a folktale about a mermaid who can’t help chasing Long John the Whale. Explore this web site for information about her wonderful program offerings.
22. Watery World of the Whales Presented by WHALES in DANGER.
23. Whale Conservation Institute by Ocean Alliance Dedicated to the conservation of whales and their ocean enviroment.
24. WhaleNet:WhaleNet is a collaborative project of the biology departments at Wheelock and Simmons Colleges in Boston, Massachusetts with support from the National Science Foundation and technical assistance from MuseNet– the Multi-user Science Education Network.
25. Whales of Australia: A guide to whales and whale watching in Australia.
26. Whale Times Find out how your favorite animals survive in the sea!
27. Whale Watcher Expert System Acquired Intelligence, Inc.’s system application for whale identificaton.
    Whale Watching Web – WWW Virtual Library: A library of Whale Watching information from around the entire world.
28. Zoobooks Zoobooks has included alot of information from the Whale’s Zoobook online. From their home page, select “Kids” then “Animals A-Z” then “W” then the Whales Zoobook.
29. Whale Clip Art – for portfolios.

Science>Oceans>Marine Life> Seals, Sea Lions, Walruses Links, Videos, and Lesson Plans

• Arctic Animals (Grades K-3) Arctic Animals (Grades 4-8) These two teacher’s guides from the Sea World Education Department include interdisciplinary lessons about the Arctic region and the animals that live there.
• Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses (Grades K-3) Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses (Grades 4-8) These two teacher’s guides from the Sea World Education Department include interdisciplinary lessons about the three types of pinnipeds.
• Looking for a Walrus – Given the words to “Looking for a Walrus” song, students role-play and sing to express their awareness of walrus adaptations. Grades K-3.
• Ocean Animals and Sea Creatures View many photos of animals that live in oceans and seas. Click on the image to see a bigger view.
• Mysteries of the Monk Seal- This lesson asks students to think about why species become extinct and why monk seals are on the verge of extinction. They will write questions to help figure out why the monk seal is endangered, and discuss how Crittercam might help answer these questions. They’ll conclude by writing and performing skits pretending they are Crittercam scientists studying monk seals.
• Diving in to Swim with the Seals -Students track online the movements of two just-released seals.
• Elephant Seals on the Beach -In this lesson, students will consider the fact that northern elephant seals, like many animals, select very different locations for different activities. Adult seals spend most of their time swimming around the northeastern Pacific and feeding in deep waters, but they come to shore twice a year to breed, give birth, and molt. Since it’s much easier to observe and record elephant seals on the beach than in the ocean, students will concentrate on some of these beach activities by viewing photographs and videos of elephant seals. They will draw pictures pretending they have visited one of the rookery beaches.

Science>Oceans>Marine Life>Sharks Links, Videos, Lessons

• Shark Attack -Students answer a true or false questions about the shark. They describe a year in the life of a white shark and create a public service announcement promoting either the protections of humans from sharks or the protections of sharks from humans.Grades 6-8.
• Sharks:  Should they Be Afraid of Us? - In this lesson, students will learn some interesting facts about different kinds of sharks and discuss the reasons why people are both afraid of and interested in sharks. They will consider sharks’ importance in nature and create brochures to educate beach visitors about sharks.
• Are sharks as dangerous as we think they are? – Students probably know that many people have negative impressions of sharks and may assume that most sharks hunt people, posing a major threat to swimmers. In this lesson, students will conduct research to address the question, “Are sharks as dangerous as we think they are?” They will present their findings in oral presentations.
• Sharks: Setting the Record Straight - In this lesson, students will investigate sharks’ importance to the ecosystem, recent shark attacks and legislation regarding shark feeding, and the geographical distribution of shark attacks in the United States. Students will write outlines for TV programs to educate the public about sharks.Grades 9-12.
• Nurse Shark Mating – Students will learn some basic information about nurse sharks and read articles describing recent studies in the Florida Keys. They will also read about shark conservation programs and discuss how nurse shark mating studies might assist shark and ocean conservation. They will conclude by writing grant proposals pretending that they are scientists who want to renew their funding for research into nurse shark mating behaviors.

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  • Wild Artic Biomes – Students learn key terms, including food web, zooplankton, and sea ice discuss Arctic plants and animals devise at least three Arctic food chains; and help create a food web showing connections among Arctic life. Grades 6 and up.
  • How do Lepord Seals Hunt? – Students will brainstorm the hunting behaviors of animals in general and leopard seals in particular and read some basic information about leopard seals. They will imagine that they are scientists who want to study leopard seal hunting, and they will draw diagrams showing the places they would look for the seals. They will conclude by writing paragraphs explaining where they would look for the seals and what behaviors they would look for.Grades 2-5.
  • A Whale of a Difference – In this lesson, students research various perspectives on Japan’s commercial whaling industry and formulate position papers representing these views. Grades 6-12.
  • Dolphin Demeanor - In this lesson, students examine new evidence of violent behavior in dolphins as a springboard for research on various dolphin behaviors, such as communication, feeding patterns, group behaviors, parenting, navigation, and interactions with humans.
  • Dolphins – Students use dozens of Dolphin  internet links to discover information about dolphins. They examine their behavior, appearance and distribution of dolphins.
  • How Whales Hear – Students use scientific inquiry to learn about hearing. Inquiry involves asking a simple question, doing an investigation, answering the question, and presenting the results to others. Note that these three lessons should be presented in the order listed above. Grades 3-6.
  • Whale Blubber Lesson -Students examine the purpose of whale blubber and investigate  how we use materials to protect them from the cold. Grades 6-8.
  • Whale Watcher Game Lesson - In the Web-based game Whale Watcher, students take on the role of an Ocean Adventures expedition member in charge of filming various gray whale behaviors as the team follows the whales on their annual migration. Grades 6-10.
  • A Symphony of Whales: A book based on the largest whale rescue ever. A New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year; A Parents’ Choice Honor Book; Smithsonian’s Notable Books for Children. This site also includes sounds, recordings, workshop information and resources for educators, parents and students.
  • Right Whales and People - Students study the right whale. draw pictures of right whales and add commercial ships and other human activities to their drawings. They conclude by writing sentences explaining how the whales they have drawn might be affected by the human activities.
  • Charlotte, the Vermont Whale: A document created at the University of Vermont. It chronicles the finding and studies of a White Beluga Whale found 10 feet under the surface of the earth in Vermont.
  • Dive and Discover – The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announced the
    launch on March 27 of an Internet expedition in the central Indian Ocean.
  • Keiko the Killer Whale See what the star of “Free Willy” is up to!
  • Ocean Planet – Smithsonian: An Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.
  • Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui, Hawaii An international non-profit organization dedicated to saving our planet’s oceans and the life they contain.
  • Rescuing a Baby Beluga: A WebQuest for Upper Elementary Science Students, designed by Danielle Braccio, Eva Horn and Ellen Usher, University of Richmond, Virginia.
  • Sea World: Includes teacher guides and research information on various whales.
    South Austrailian Whale Centre at Victor Harbor Information on whales, dolphins, sea lions, sharks and little penguins.
  • The Flying Turtle: Ask Dr.Galapagos: Wonderful questions for exploration of whale facts from the Flying Turtle Science and Technology Exploration site.
  • The Marine Mammal Center A collection of information on marine mammals including whales.
  • The National Marine Mammal Laboratory’s Education Web Site Learn about marine mammals and the science and careers surrounding them.
  • The Never Ending Journey The Cyclic Migration of the Southern Humpback Whales. Photography by Trish Franklin, The Oceania Project © 2000. Text By Trish Franklin & Lyn Woolley.
  • The Virtual Whales Project Provides 3D Animation and sound environment for the visualization of the feeding of whales.
  • The Whale Club Increase your awareness towards marine mammals and the oceans they live in.
  • The Whale Museum Promotes stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research.
  • Whale Tales and Mermaids Storyteller Lynn Ruehlmann tells simple versions of some of the earliest myths about whales, along with a folktale about a mermaid who can’t help chasing Long John the Whale. Explore this web site for information about her wonderful program offerings.
  • Watery World of the Whales Presented by WHALES in DANGER.
  • Whale Conservation Institute by Ocean Alliance Dedicated to the conservation of whales and their ocean enviroment.
  • WhaleNet:WhaleNet is a collaborative project of the biology departments at Wheelock and Simmons Colleges in Boston, Massachusetts with support from the National Science Foundation and technical assistance from MuseNet– the Multi-user Science Education Network.
  • Whales of Australia: A guide to whales and whale watching in Australia.
  • Whale Times Find out how your favorite animals survive in the sea!
  • Whale Watcher Expert System Acquired Intelligence, Inc.’s system application for whale identificaton.
    Whale Watching Web – WWW Virtual Library: A library of Whale Watching information from around the entire world.
  • Zoobooks Zoobooks has included alot of information from the Whale’s Zoobook online. From their home page, select “Kids” then “Animals A-Z” then “W” then the Whales Zoobook.
  • Whale Clip Art – for portfolios.

Mammal - DVD available from Netfilx. From massive whales and noble elephants to acrobatic bats and tiny rodents, learn all about mammals, one of the most diverse and successful classes of life, in this entertaining and educational program narrated by Martin Sheen. Find out how to tell mammals from other creatures, how fur and milk have helped them thrive, and how these traits have helped these amazing animals flourish in every region of the planet.

Science>Marine Zoology> Sea Birds

• Marine Birds - This activity is geared towards encouraging the conservation of marine communities through exposure to marine birds, organisms who are integral to the ecological web of marine life. Geared towards grades 3-5.
• Virtual Bookshelf – Resources Arctic Birds, Antarctic Birds, and Migratory Species.
• Hands-on Science and Literacy Lessons About Birds
• The Dance of Life
• Students Research Bird Behavior in Cold Weather
• Amazing Birds -  This unit uses bird activities and Macaulay Library sounds and videos as a springboard for exploring physical science concepts such as sound, magnetism, flight, and simple machines. Nine lessons include: Observing Birds, Physical Adaptations of Birds, Sound Is Energy, Why Birds Sing, Bird Beaks, Flight and Feathers, Magnetic Migration, Culminating Activities, and Optional Extension Activities and Assessment. Grades K-5
• Bird Baths: Cleaning Up Wildlife After Oil Spills – In this lesson, students will explore the causes and effects of events such as oil spills and contaminations. They will then experience firsthand the feel of oil spills, determine an environmental problem that affects their community, and develop an “action plan” to minimize the risk to one form of wildlife. Finally, they will examine ways in which public and private organizations partner to keep the environment, and its wildlife, healthy. Grades K-5
• Arctic Terns From North to South -The arctic tern is an amazing migratory bird, traveling over 22,000 miles in a year from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again. Students will map this bird’s migration route and consider why it wants to migrate so far. They will conclude by writing paragraphs describing the arctic tern’s migration route and explaining how they think it knows when it’s time to migrate. (Grades K-2)
• Cape Royds Nest Check Your students follow six Adelie penguin families via data and pictures, updated daily. Students can create field books and record observations, weather conditions, and nest status. The data can also be used for the Nesting Time and Population Counts activities. The education page of the Penguin Science web site also includes several other activities and information about Antarctica. Grades K-5.
• Penguins – These two teacher’s guides from the SeaWorld Education Department include interdisciplinary units about penguins. Grades 4-8.