November 3-9, 2011, Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event:
Seven technology-equipped narwhals are helping an international group of researchers in northern Canada learn more about their habits. In August, the researchers painlessly attached satellite radios with transmitters to these Arctic whales known for their unusual spiral tusks. The radios will allow the researchers to track the narwhals as they travel through the icy waters of northern Canada.
Objective:
Reading the Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles will help students understand how Canadian researchers are tracking the narwhals and what they hope to learn about the toothed whales’ behavior.
People and Places:
Vocabulary Terms:
Discussion Topics:
1. A narwhal is a toothed Arctic whale. Compare and contrast narwhals with other toothed whales, including the sperm whale, Baird’s beaked whale, and beluga whale.
2. Compare and contrast the toothed narwhal with baleen whales, which have no teeth, including the gray whale, right whales, and six types of rorqual whales.
3. Most scientists think the male narwhal’s tusk plays a role in selecting mates. Research also indicates that the tusk is a sensory organ that can detect water temperature, pressure, and other sensations. Have your students share their ideas about the purpose of the narwhal’s tusk.
4. Researchers hope to learn how narwhals are adjusting to a loss of sea ice in the Arctic linked to global warming. What is global warming and how is it affecting other areas of the world?
Homework Activity:
Ask your students to become animal tracking researchers with this fun homework activity.
1. Tell your students to find and identify an active animal to track. It can be any animal — a pet, an animal they can visit at the zoo or a farm, or a wild animal they can see outside.
2. Have them draw a picture of the animal on one piece of paper and give it a tracking number.
3. Tell them to watch the animal for a brief period of time. (Tell them to be sure not to interfere or interact with the animal in any way.) During this time, they should follow the animal’s movements by drawing a map on a second sheet of paper. Have them label places the animal visited, such as its food source or napping area, and record how long the animal stayed at these places.
4. Ask them to write a “Tracking Report” answering these questions:
a. Where was the animal when you began tracking it?
b. How long did you track the animal?
c. Where did the animal spend the most time? What was it doing there?
d. What did you notice about the animal’s movements? Was it moving fast or slow? Deliberate or haphazardly?
e. What did you think the animal’s goal was while you were tracking it? Was it looking for food? A place to sleep? Something to play with?
f. Where was the animal when you finished tracking it? How far did it travel?