Handout

A New Bedford Voyage!

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

A thorough set of activities, articles, and reference material can enlighten your class about the history of whaling in New England. Kids travel back to a time when whale products were valuable and hunting whales was a way to help the blooming American economy. They can also role play as a sailor on a whaling ship. The packet includes details about products from the whaling trade, the life of a whaler, and a list of vocabulary relevant to whaling and sailing.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use the packet after reading Moby Dick or another book about the whaling industry (resource references Moby Dick but does not depend on learners' knowledge of the book)
  • Great for a cross-curricular project between language arts and social studies
Classroom Considerations
  • Some kids might be sensitive to the depictions of killing whales in the lesson
  • Provides more information about the history of whaling than the effort toward conservation; consider bringing in your own resources about recent acts to save the whales
Pros
  • Features a variety of activities and articles that include both math and writing practice
Cons
  • None