Marine Life:  Whales

Myrtle Guice                  Powell Elementary School 
                              7530 South Shore Drive
                              Chicago, Il.  60649
                              312-933-6650

Objective: 

Grade Level six.

Students will fill in crossword puzzle utilizing vocabulary generated from the 
comparing and contrasting of common- and less common-place objects.

To prepare students for a visit to Shedd Aquarium.

Materials Needed:

An orange, sieve, chalkboard, picture file and school librarian.

Recommended Strategies:

Place the catagories "structure, function and behavior" on chalkboard.

Have students describe an orange.  
  
Demonstrate the working of a sieve in order to convey the concept of the term 
"baleen".  Record each characteristic under appropriate catagory.  Follow with
descriptions of the whale.
 
Compare and contrast characteristics of the whale and shark.   
 
Give crossword puzzle to students.   
  
Have students work in teams of three's.  Specify one as the recorder and one the 
reader of clues--but all must contribute to solving the puzzle.    
  
Solicit the help of the school librarian in providing as much material on whales 
as possible for student reference.  
  
Provide pictures, charts and posters for visual clues.

Conclusions:

Students will complete a whale crossword puzzle as a group activity.