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Wonderful whales

Students will gain knowledge of whales: the kinds of whales, the characteristics of whales, and the habitats of whales. Math skills will be incorporated into the teaching facts about whales.

Format: lesson plan (grade K Mathematics and Science)

By Robin Moss.

Directed reading lesson: Dear Mr. Blueberry

This plan is a directed reading/thinking activity for the book Dear Mr. Blueberry with questioning and a follow-up written activity that focuses on the story elements. Another activity involves discussing facts about whales in the story and, then, finding other facts about whales that are used for a writing activity.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 English Language Arts)

By Candace Hall.

Sperm whale

Format: image/photograph

Whaling

Detail of Benjamin Wright's circa 1608 engraved map of New France — the area of North America colonized by France from the 1530s to the 1760s. The image shows men killing whales in ocean surf.

Format: image/illustration

Mix and match ecology: Symbiosis

In this high-school biology lesson, students gain an understanding of the three kinds of symbiotic relationships by creating relationships between imaginary animals.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 )

By MaryBeth Knight Greene.

Undersea exploration

Students explore the lifeforms and land formations under the ocean. The three ocean levels and their respective lifeforms are investigated and discussed, focusing on shape, form, and color. Students will gain a better understanding of the connections between the science and arts curriculum.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Visual Arts Education, Dance Arts Education, and Music Education)

By Russ Johnson.

Higher order thinking with Venn diagrams

Graphic organizers are powerful ways to help students understand complex ideas. By adapting and building on basic Venn diagrams, you can move beyond comparison and diagram classification systems that encourage students to recognize complex relationships.

Format: article/best practice

By David Walbert.

The creation and fall of man, from Genesis

In Prehistory, contact, and the Lost Colony, page 1.4

The creation story from the biblical Book of Genesis describes how God created heaven and earth, plants, animals, and people; and later how the first people were cast out of the Garden of Eden as punishment for eating from the "tree of knowledge of good and evil."

Features of print

In this lesson, the teacher introduces the concept of gathering information from chapter headings, bold type and other organizational features of print (such as tables of contents) in non-fiction texts in print and online.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

By Gail Goodling, Susan Lovett, and Sue Versenyi.

The natural history of North Carolina

In Prehistory, contact, and the Lost Colony, page 1.2

If the five billion years of the earth's history were condensed into a single day, humans would have arrived in North Carolina just two tenths of a second before midnight! This article summarizes the major biological and geological events in North Carolina's history and explains how the land and environment of today came to be.

Format: article

By David Walbert.

The present state of Carolina [people, climate]

In Colonial North Carolina, page 2.1

Excerpt from John Lawson's 1709 A New Voyage to Carolina describing (and mostly praising) the European and native inhabitants, weather, and natural resources of Carolina, as well as what settlers should bring with them from Europe. Includes historical commentary.

Format: book

Commentary and sidebar notes by David Walbert.

The Charter of Carolina (1663)

In Colonial North Carolina, page 1.4

In the Charter of Carolina, King Charles II of England granted the eight men known as the Lords Proprietors rights to the land that became North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Primary source includes historical commentary.

Format: charter

Commentary and sidebar notes by David Walbert.

Resources on the web

Welcome to Wild Whales

Current events, news, and information on behavior and anatomy of whales, porpoises, and dolphins (cetaceans) with video and audio recordings of many cetaceans make this site informative and interesting. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: Vancouver Aquarium Lab

Beluga whales in the ice

This lesson asks students to think about how beluga whales survive in icy Arctic and subarctic waters and why they sometimes need to migrate. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Right whales and people

In this lesson from Xpeditions, students will learn about the highly endangered northern right whale and think about how this species' geographical distribution places it in direct contact with human threats such as ships. Students will draw pictures of... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K Science)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Pilot whales' social behavior

In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about pilot whales' sociability and bonding and consider how National Geographic's Crittercam (a camera worn by wildlife to provide information about animal behavior) might help scientists learn more about ocean... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Reading and writing about whales using fiction and nonfiction texts

This lesson from ReadWriteThink teaches students how to formulate research questions and write letters. The lesson uses the nonfiction picture book Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies to present factual information about blue whales and the fiction... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

The best hope for northern right whales

Students research current and proposed methods of assisting the recovery of northern right whale populations. Students conduct Internet research to investigate the best strategies to help save right whales. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Pilot whales' place in the ocean

In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore pilot whales' sociability and bonding and consider how the National Geographic Crittercam might help scientists learn more about their social behaviors. Activities in this lesson... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Be a reading detective: Finding similarities and differences in ideas

Students learn to use Venn diagrams as a tool for comparing and contrasting subjects in nonfiction writing. After participating in an introductory activity comparing apples and oranges, students work in small groups to compare other items by listing the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink