Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: True's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Found along the North American coastline from Nova Scotia to the Bahamas, True's beaked whale also inhabits temperate waters off the coast of Europe, and there are records of the species from near Australia and South Africa. Squid beaks...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Sei Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Unlike other rorquals, Sei whales have a dolphin-like dorsal fin. They are also unusual in using two different methods to fill their mouths with water during feeding - they both gulp and skim-feed. Learn more about the Balaenoptera...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Stejneger's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Thirty-one of the 48 sightings of Stejneger's beaked whale have come from Alaskan waters. It is suspected this species favors deep waters, including the Aleutian Trench and the Aleutian Basin, which is some 3,500 m deep, rather than the...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Killer Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Killer whales live in all the oceans between the Arctic and Antarctic ice packs. Given this enormous range and their predatory lifestyle, it is not surprising that they are adaptable, with an excellent memory, intelligence, and a...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: False Killer Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
For reasons unknown, the false killer whale is among the most common cetaceans involved in mass strandings. The sheer size of these episodes is hard to absorb - 835 animals were beached in the largest documented case. Learn more about...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Cuvier's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Cuvier's beaked whales are rarely seen because they stay in deep water and tend to avoid boats. They are known to live in every ocean, except near the North and South Poles, and most seas. Learn more about the Ziphius cavirostris, more...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Gray Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Gray whales are bottom feeders. They roll to one side and lower the lip to scour and siphon the bottom for tiny crustaceans, especially amphipods which are known as "sand fleas." Learn more about the Eschrichtius robustus, more commonly...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Humpback Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Humpback whales are among the best-studied cetaceans, yet they are still among the most mysterious. Among the mysteries are the reasons for their songs and the complex social behaviors that accompany them. Learn more about the Megaptera...
eBook
Blackdog Media

Classic Reader: "The Whale Cure" by Louis Becke

For Students 9th - 10th
Sitting inside a deceased whale was once considered a way to cure rheumatism. This short story by Louis Becke centers around this concept. Read the full text on this site.
eBook
Blackdog Media

Classic Reader: "The Whale Tooth" by Jack London

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the full text of Jack London's short story "The Whale Tooth" on this site.
Handout
Canadian Museum of Nature

Canadian Museum of Nature: Bowhead Whale

For Students 9th - 10th
The bowhead whale is on the endangered list as efforts continue to be made to bolster its population. Details about this Arctic animal can be found here.
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Bowhead Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Bowheads live in icy Arctic seas. A smooth back with no dorsal fin, a blowhole placed in a high crown at the top of the head, and a thick layer of blubber for insulation equip them for this environment. Learn more about the Balaena...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Melon Headed Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
This dark gray species is actually in the black dolphin family. It is smaller than almost all the other North American members of this family and is approximately the size of a bottlenose dolphin. Learn more about the Peponocephala...
Website
Other

Fishin for Facts Library

For Students 9th - 10th
A comprehensive site that includes a wealth of information on whales, sharks, penguins and squid.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian National Zoo: Zoogoer Magazine: Killer Cultures

For Students 9th - 10th
This article covers a variety of topics related to Killer Whales including Killers on the Move, A Tale of Two Tribes, Deciphered Dialects, Eyes on the Genes, and more.
Activity
Other

Newfoundland's Grand Banks: Basque Whalers in Southern Labrador 1540 1610

For Students 9th - 10th
A description of early whaling by Basque sailors off the coast of Labrador.
Handout
The BIG zoo

The Big Zoo: Killer Whale

For Students 9th - 10th
Virtual zoo site contains some interesting information regarding this sought after creature. Provides a physical description as well as information regarding their diet, habitat, social structure, birth and offspring and senses.
eBook
NOAA

Noaa: Endangered Whales

For Students 9th - 10th
"There are currently seven species of cetaceans in U.S. waters that are protected under the Endangered Species Act." This site provides links to each species as well as provides colorful and engaging pictures.
Unit Plan
E-learning for Kids

E Learning for Kids: Science: Bay of Whales: Calculating Speed

For Students 3rd - 5th
Amelia is a researcher. She studies the speed of animals. Join her in Antarctica to help her figure these calculations.
Interactive
National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids: Animals: Orcas

For Students 3rd - 8th
Orcas, more commonly known as killer whales, are featured on this multimedia site. These video clips, audio clips, photographs and facts will be very beneficial to students doing research projects.
Activity
NOAA

Noaa: Endangered Species Origami [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover facts about endangered whales and turtles. Fold paper to make Origami models of these two creatures.
Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: The Wreck of the Corinthian

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive activity, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, tells the story of the wreck and towing of the whaling ship Corinthian using three narrative sources.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Jean Michel Cousteau: Parasite Perils Data Analysis Game

For Teachers 7th - 8th
This lesson is designed for Grades 7 and 8 and has young scholars gather and analyze data from research on salmon populations and the impact of the sea louse on their survival rates. They then apply their findings by looking at how orca...
Handout
PBS

Pbs: Ocean Adventures: Satellite Tagging Technology

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover how researchers have been working with whales that have been tagged with radio transmitters to receive information that aids in their research of whale behavior.

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