Curriculum

PROTECTING WHALES

PROTECTING WHALES

Protecting Whales is a freely available elementary STEM+CT instructional unit developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center with funding from the US Department of Defense STEM office. As part of the Smithsonian Science for Computational Thinking series, it is designed to address a bundle of science, engineering, and computational thinking standards from from the  Next Generation Science Standards, the Computer Science Teachers Association Standards, and the ISTE Student Standards. In this unit, students: 

  • Use similarities and differences in patterns to organize images of whales to reveal which observations are of the same whale.
  • Develop a model based on whale data to reveal an annual migration pattern of the humpback whale.
  • Use a visual model of whales’ and ships’ patterns of movement as evidence to support a claim about where whales are likely to get hit by ships.
  • Apply scientific ideas from data and text to design a solution to decrease the number of whales getting injured or killed by ship strikes.
  • Use a computer model to compare multiple solutions to the problem of whales getting hit by ships.

 

Download the Teacher Guide

Below are additional resources that support teaching this unit.

Task 1: Initial Ideas

Humpback Whale video (0:55 minutes)
Download the Video
This video shows a series of humpback whale video clips.

Whale Problem
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This file shows humpback whales that have been injured or killed.

Task 2: Whale Life Game

Whale Life Game Directions
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This file shows how to play the Whale Life Game.

Whale Life Game Board
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This file is the game board for the Whale Life Game.

Whale Life Game Spinners
Download the PDF
This file contains the three spinners used in the Whale Life Game.

Task 3: Analyze the Whale Life Game

Whale Environmental Problems
Download the PDF
This file shows environmental problems that affect humpback whales.

Task 4: Revised Ideas

Boat Propeller video (0:15)
Download the Video
This video shows a boat propeller in slow motion.

Task 5: Whale Fluke Sort

Whale Map
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This file shows a simple map of the west coast of North America.

Whale Data card set
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This file contains the Whale Data card set.

Task 7: Adding Ship Traffic Data

Ship Traffic Data
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This file shows the ship traffic on the west coast of North America.

Task 9: Research Solutions

Whales and Ships: Sharing the Ocean

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This file is a story about whales and ships and solutions to the problem of whales getting hit by ships.

Up Close with a Marine Scientist

Download the PDF
This file is a story about marine scientist Sarah Mallette and a Navy-funded research project to help protect whales.

Task 11: Testing Solutions

Whale Protection Corp
Play the Simulation 
This simulation shows locations of whales and ships and can be used to test different solutions to help protect whales from getting hit by ships.

Testing Solutions
Download the PDF
Students can record their data from the Whale Protection Corp simulation on this sheet.

Kit Tips & Tricks