Instructions
Read through each section carefully and answer the questions to the best of your ability. You'll explore amazing facts, learn new words, and even do a little math—all about the magnificent world of whales!
Part 1: Whale Wonders - Fact or Fiction?
Read the statements below. Are they true or false? Circle your answer.
- Whales are a type of fish.
FACT / FICTION - The Blue Whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth.
FACT / FICTION - A group of whales is called a school.
FACT / FICTION - Some whales use "bubble-net feeding" to trap their food.
FACT / FICTION - All whales have teeth to chew their food.
FACT / FICTION - Whales breathe air through blowholes, which are like nostrils on the top of their heads.
FACT / FICTION
Part 2: Whale Vocabulary Match-Up
Match the vocabulary word on the left with its correct definition on the right. Write the letter of the definition in the space provided.
|
1. ___ Pod 2. ___ Baleen 3. ___ Krill 4. ___ Cetacean 5. ___ Echolocation |
A. The scientific order that includes all whales, dolphins, and porpoises. B. Tiny, shrimp-like animals that are a primary food source for many whales. C. A social group of whales. D. Using sound waves to "see" by listening for echoes. Used by toothed whales to find food and navigate. E. The flexible, bristly plates in the mouths of some whales, used to filter food from the water. |
Part 3: Toothed or Baleen?
Whales are divided into two main groups. Toothed whales (Odontoceti) have teeth and hunt prey like fish and squid. Baleen whales (Mysticeti) have baleen plates instead of teeth to filter-feed on tiny organisms. Place each whale from the list below into the correct category.
Whale List: Humpback Whale, Orca (Killer Whale), Sperm Whale, Blue Whale, Narwhal, Gray Whale
| Toothed Whales (Odontoceti) | Baleen Whales (Mysticeti) |
|---|---|
| 1. | 1. |
| 2. | 2. |
| 3. | 3. |
Part 4: Whale Math Challenge
A Gray Whale migrates from the cold Arctic seas to the warm waters of Mexico to breed and then back again. The total round-trip journey is about 12,000 miles. If the whale travels at an average speed of 5 miles per hour, how many hours would it take to complete the entire migration? Show your work.
Work Space:
Answer: _________________ hours
Part 5: Deep Dive Question
Imagine you are a marine biologist who has just discovered a new species of whale. What would you name it? Describe two of its unique features (how it looks, what it eats, or how it behaves) that make it different from other whales we know.
ANSWER KEY
Part 1: Whale Wonders - Fact or Fiction?
- FICTION - Whales are mammals, not fish. They breathe air, are warm-blooded, and give live birth.
- FACT
- FICTION - A group of whales is called a pod.
- FACT - Humpback whales are famous for this clever hunting technique.
- FICTION - Only one group, the toothed whales, have teeth. Baleen whales have baleen plates to filter food.
- FACT
Part 2: Whale Vocabulary Match-Up
1. C - Pod
2. E - Baleen
3. B - Krill
4. A - Cetacean
5. D - Echolocation
Part 3: Toothed or Baleen?
| Toothed Whales (Odontoceti) | Baleen Whales (Mysticeti) |
|---|---|
| 1. Orca (Killer Whale) | 1. Humpback Whale |
| 2. Sperm Whale | 2. Blue Whale |
| 3. Narwhal | 3. Gray Whale |
Part 4: Whale Math Challenge
Problem: Total Distance (12,000 miles) ÷ Average Speed (5 mph) = Total Time
Work: 12,000 / 5 = 2,400
Answer: 2,400 hours
Part 5: Deep Dive Question
Answers will vary. Look for a creative name and two distinct, well-described features that show understanding of whale characteristics (e.g., feeding method, physical appearance, sound, social behavior).