Under the Sea: Whales3rd Grade

By: Nicole Olsen

Technology Integration Rationale Children’s minds are constantly swimming with imaginative

thoughts. When a specific topic captures a student’s attention, they will be willing and eager to learn as much as they can. We can use technology to perform research on whales, look up pictures of whales, and watch informative videos. Since we can’t interact with whales up close, technology will allow for the next best thing!

Internet Content• All of the sources are reliable and can be seen cited within the “notes” portion under each slide.

• Images and links can be clicked in order to advance to the website on which it was found.

Blog

This blog supports the protection of all wildlife. Simply typing “whales” into the search bar will bring up many different blog posts about whales. Children can learn that there are many people out there who are passionate about saving whales and wildlife in general.

For example, this link is a recent blog post about whales:

http://www.defendersblog.org/2013/12/place-sun-right-whales/

PodcastThis podcast explains how the addition of man-

made noises like sonar, ships, and oil digging machines, are severely risking the health of marine animals such as whales and dolphins.

Children can learn that wildlife safety is important, and that sometimes man-made creations are risking the lives of animals.

http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2013/09/blinded_noise.html#.UuRG0Hn0CMF

Video

Video #2

Internet ResourcesSave The Whales: This nonprofit organization has the aim

of informing adults and children about sea life. The website includes a whale song, options to adopt a whale, information about whales, etc.

Bluevoice.org: This organization works to help save our oceans and its animals such as whales and dolphins. This website includes a blog, breaking news, web films, and much more!

Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): This conservation website allows supporters to adopt their own whale! They give information about each whale that can be adopted, a mini biography of the whales!

Kidspiration

Teaching Materials 1

After reading a book about whales, students can complete this worksheet which includes the title of the book, the author, and “Why the book was a whale of a good book!” This allows the students to give their opinion as to why they enjoyed the book and what they learned.

Teacher Materials 2

Teacher Materials 2 Continued

This story and worksheet are perfect for working on comprehension skills of a short, informational passage. Students will read the information given about whales and answer the questions provided.

Teacher Materials 3 This website is a wonderful tool for teachers to use for mathematics. Students will complete the pipe in order to provide water to the whale and rescue it! The chains of numbers can be changed in order to differentiate. (The student would need to place the 4 pipe next to the 6 pipe in order to create 10).

Teacher Material 4: There’s an App for that!

This free downloadable App, called Whale Alert by EarthNC, provides maps in which viewers can see where whales are located in our oceans! It also provides routes that shouldn’t be taken in ships and much more! This would be a fun App for students to look at considering it shows the likely habitats and areas in which whales live!

Subject-Specific Resource

Readwritethink.org provides teachers with a lesson plan that can be used to teach students about whales! A book would be read aloud in class, and afterwards, students would be required to create their own questions as well as write letters. This is a great resource for a literacy lesson!

Uses of the InternetMerriam-Webster: Visual Dictionary Online:This website would be a great supporting source of the

whale topic. It provides dictionary definitions of all sorts of marine animals and provides multiple pictures of the different types of species.

The Marine Mammal Center: This general website gives

information about all different types of marine mammals. Students can simply click on the different types of whales to find out more information.

Web 2.0The Whale and Dolphin Conservation has their own Facebook page! This is a great tool because it provides pictures, videos, news updates, and posts by supporters. Teachers conducting the same unit can collaborate, find pictures, and use videos from this Facebook page.

View Me On Slideshare!