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 Protecting Whales Teacher Guide
Below are additional resources that support teaching this unit.
Humpback Whale video (0:55 minutes)
Download the Humpback Whale Video
This video shows a series of humpback whale video clips.
Whale Problem
Download the Whale Problem PDF
This file shows humpback whales that have been injured or killed.
Whale Life Game Directions
Download the Whale Life Game PDF
This file shows how to play the Whale Life Game.
Whale Life Game Board
Download the Whale Life Game Board PDF
This file is the game board for the Whale Life Game.
Whale Life Game Spinners
Download the Whale Life Game Spinners PDF
This file contains the three spinners used in the Whale Life Game.
Whale Environmental Problems
Download the Whale Environmental Problems PDF
This file shows environmental problems that affect humpback whales.
Boat Propeller video (0:15)
Download the Boat Propeller Video
This video shows a boat propeller in slow motion.
Whale Map
Download the Whale Map PDF
This file shows a simple map of the west coast of North America.
Whale Data card set
Download the Whale Data card set PDF
This file contains the Whale Data card set.
Ship Traffic Data
Download the Ship Traffic Data PDF
This file shows the ship traffic on the west coast of North America.
Whales and Ships: Sharing the Ocean
Download the Whales and Ships: Sharing the Ocean PDF
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 Up Close with a Marine Scientist PDF
This file is a story about marine scientist Sarah Mallette and a Navy-funded research project to help protect whales.
Whale Protection Corp
Play the Whale Protection Corp 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 Testing Solutions PDF
Students can record their data from the Whale Protection Corp simulation on this sheet.
Kit Tips & Tricks