Kristen Krentz

Save the Cetaceans

A Science WebQuest for 5^th/6^th grade

Prepared by Kristen Krentz

It is 7:00 A.M. You awake to your dog Skip barking in your ear. You know the routine. In a sleepy daze, you slip on your sandals and attach Skip’s leash to his collar. You and Skip proceed to walk towards the nearby beach. The soothing sound of waves crashing against the shore makes you want to climb back in bed. All of a sudden, Skip leaps forward and calls for your attention. Alarmed, you sense something is wrong and look into the distance. A massive black and white whale lay helplessly in the sand, tangled in a net.

You immediately reach for your cell phone and dial

1-800- SAVE WHALES. The emergency operator at the other end of the line begins asking difficult questions about the beached whale that you do not have the answers to. Luckily, your cell phone has Internet access.

The Save the Whales Foundation desperately needs your help! It just so happens that the whale you discovered is listed as an endangered species. It is your job to figure out what could have caused this dilemma so the whale can be put safely back into the ocean. However, before you do this, you will need to know some background information on whales. Please record your findings in your science journal.

1. What is a Cetacean?

2. What three types of Cetaceans are in the ocean?

3. What five characteristics do both mammals and Cetacean’s share?

4. Define the two suborders of Cetaceans and name their differences.

5. Draw a picture of a Cetacean logging, lobtailing, spyhopping and breaching.

6. Explain the terms pod and echolocation.

7. Name three reasons why some types of Cetacean’s are considered endangered species.

8. Name two types of Cetacean’s that are on the endangered species list.

9. Why do you think the whale in this story was washed ashore?