Who lives in the ocean? - Lesson One
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Lesson duration is: 45 minIntroduction
Lesson 1 – Do whales live in the ocean?
This lesson covers:
Are whales mammals or fish?
What do whales eat?
How do whales communicate?
Learning activities:
How echolocation works.
Understanding how big whales are – comparing sizes.
Writing and discussion exercises on what has been learned.
Instructions
Time: 45 minutes
Contact: education@seashepherdglobal.org
© Sea Shepherd 2022
Instructions
Worksheets
Items in this lesson
Slide 1 - Slide
This lesson is provided by Sea Shepherd. Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 and is a marine conservation organisation working to protect the oceans and marine wildlife. Sea Shepherd works globally on a range of issues impacting the oceans, running numerous direct action campaigns each year. The protection of whales is one area Sea Shepherd is working in.
Slide 2 - Slide
During the lesson we will use these icons to identify the learning actions.
Slide 3 - Slide
How do we know whales belong in the ocean?
Discuss with students why they think whales belong in the ocean.
How do whales swim and dive?
Whales have a tail and fins.
Discuss with students why they think whales belong in the ocean.
How do whales swim and dive?
Whales have a tail and fins.
Slide 4 - Slide
Use the image to talk about the whale’s life cycle.
Whales have babies called calves.
They spend their early years with their mum/mother.
Whales have babies called calves.
They spend their early years with their mum/mother.
Slide 5 - Slide
Ask students if they think whales are fish or mammals, like us.
Whales may swim in the ocean, but they are not fish.
Discuss with students what makes whales mammals:
Ø Breathe air through blow holes (fish through gills) they have to come to the surface to breathe air, like we do.
Ø Give birth to living young (fish lay eggs).
Ø Warm blooded (fish are cold blooded).
Ø Smooth skin (fish have scales).
Ø Young drink mum’s milk.
Ø Tail moves up and down (fish tails move side to side).
Ø Heart has 4 chambers (fish have 2)
Whales may swim in the ocean, but they are not fish.
Discuss with students what makes whales mammals:
Ø Breathe air through blow holes (fish through gills) they have to come to the surface to breathe air, like we do.
Ø Give birth to living young (fish lay eggs).
Ø Warm blooded (fish are cold blooded).
Ø Smooth skin (fish have scales).
Ø Young drink mum’s milk.
Ø Tail moves up and down (fish tails move side to side).
Ø Heart has 4 chambers (fish have 2)
Slide 6 - Slide
Some whales have teeth, so they can eat fish, shrimp, crabs, squid and krill.
The most well known whale with teeth is the sperm whale.
They feed by sifting krill and small fish through these baleen plates. The baleen plate is like a big sieve/colander. They open their mouth scoop up the water with all the fish, then let the water drain away leaving the fish trapped.
The most well known whale with teeth is the sperm whale.
Some whales don’t have teeth, instead they have a baleen plate.
Slide 7 - Video
Ask students if they think whales can talk?
They don’t exactly talk like we do, but they have their own language to communicate with each other. Whales sing and can be heard from miles away.
Show this video (1.14min), which shows a humpback whale singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am5fOjC4Ac0
They don’t exactly talk like we do, but they have their own language to communicate with each other. Whales sing and can be heard from miles away.
Show this video (1.14min), which shows a humpback whale singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am5fOjC4Ac0
What is one thing you learned about whales?
Slide 8 - Open question
Ask students:
“What is one thing you have learned about whales?”
“What is one thing you have learned about whales?”
Slide 9 - Video
Show this video (3.14 mins), which shows a humpback whale calf and mum playing with dolphins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETvZI1hjVVE
Slide 10 - Slide
This item has no instructions
Slide 11 - Slide
Refer Teachers Guide for Learning Activities.
