Students will
Session 1 Read aloud Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies to the class. After reading the book, make a list of what students have learned about blue whales and title it "What We Know About Blue Whales." Then make a list of questions that students have about blue whales and title it "What We Want To Know About Blue Whales." Session 2 In the computer lab, have students visit the Online resources listed to view photos and videos and listen to sound clips of blue whales. This activity can be done as a whole class, in small groups, or by students individually. If the computer lab or technology is unavailable, print photos of blue whales and distribute them to students. After viewing the photos and listening to the sounds clips, ask students to add any new observations or questions to the two class lists: "What We Know About Blue Whales" and "What We Want To Know About Blue Whales." Session 3 Read aloud Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James to the class. Develop a discussion chart to explore the concepts of real and pretend. First, help your students define the terms real and pretend. Make two columns on the chart, one with the heading "real" and one with the heading "pretend." Ask students why they think the blue whale in Dear Mr. Blueberry is real or pretend. List the reasons why students think the whale is real in one column and the reasons why they think he is pretend in the other column. Session 4 Building on the discussion from Session 3, have students do a similar comparison of information contained in fiction and nonfiction texts. Develop another chart with two columns, one with the heading "fiction" and one with the heading "nonfiction." Hold up the covers of Dear Mr. Blueberry and Big Blue Whale. Explain that Dear Mr. Blueberry is fiction and Big Blue Whale is nonfiction. Explain the differences between fiction and nonfiction in a way that young students can understand. Then have students develop a definition for each term in their own words. Ask students to give examples of things that they learned about whales from the fiction book Dear Mr. Blueberry and things that they learned about whales from the nonfiction book Big Blue Whale. List their responses in the fiction and nonfiction columns. Look at the completed chart and discuss how the information in the two columns is similar and different. Session 5 This session will help to summarize and bring together what students have learned so far. Look back at the class lists created in Sessions 1 and 2: "What We Know About Blue Whales" and "What We Want To Know About Blue Whales." Review the information in the lists and explain that the class is going to make a third list titled, "What We Have Learned About Blue Whales." Ask students for examples for the third list that expand upon or differ from the examples on the two previous lists. Session 6 In this session, students will learn about letter writing. Hold up a copy of Dear Mr. Blueberry and discuss how the story is written in the form of a series of letters. Explain that Emily is writing to her teacher, Mr. Blueberry, because she thinks he might know how to take care of a blue whale. Look at an enlarged copy of Emily's fifth letter in Dear Mr. Blueberry or pass out individual copies of the letter. Discuss the parts of a letter. Point out the salutation, body, close, and postscript in Emily's letter. Have students individually or as a class circle each section of the letter as you discuss it. Show how in the body of the letter Emily makes an observation about the whale ("He looks blue.") and asks a question about the whale ("Does this mean he might be a blue whale?"). Session 7 Depending on the level of your students, have students work as a whole class, in smalls groups, or individually to write a letter to an online scientist, asking a question about the blue whale. For early first graders, interactive writing (i.e., the teacher and students write together, sharing the pen and the act of composition) may be most appropriate. Point out how this letter writing activity resembles Emily's letter writing in Dear Mr. Blueberry. Make sure that the letter includes a question about blue whales that students really want to know. Review the two class lists, "What We Know About Blue Whales" and "What We Want To Know About Blue Whales," before composing the letters. Encourage students to come up with their own questions if possible, and use a question from the list if they are unable to think up their own. Session 8 Read the students' letters and make suggestions for revision. Have students revise and rewrite their letters. Since the letters will be submitted online it is appropriate for you to type the final draft of the letters into the computer and send them to WhaleNet: ASK a Scientist . When responses are received, share them with students. Read each student's letter and the scientist's answers to the whole class so that students can understand the relation between written inquiries and written replies. A chart can also be made with a row of boxes summarizing students' questions and a matching row of boxes summarizing the scientist's responses.
Have students use the same format to study another animal:
1. Does the letter ask a real question that the student wants to know? No Somewhat Yes 2. Does the letter contain enough detail for the scientist to understand the student's question? No Somewhat Yes 3. Does the letter use the proper format, with a salutation, body, and close. No Somewhat Yes
This strategy guide explains the writing process and offers practical methods for applying it in your classroom to help students become proficient writers.
Home / Essay Samples / Science / Zoology / Killer Whales
A brief review of pacific killer whales.
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