Whales

5th Grade Oral Language Resources

Content Objectives

Students will:

• Learn about the concept of whales.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about whales.
• Explore and apply the concept of whales.

Language Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of whales.
• Orally use words that describe different types of whales and where they live.
• Extend oral vocabulary by speaking about terms that describe whales and whale body parts.
• Use key concept words [inlet, humpback, ocean, fins, underwater; submerge, ascend, Baleen, mammal].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that students are going to learn about:
• Whales.
• Where whales live.
• Parts of a whale's body.

Model

• After the host introduces the slideshow, point to the photo on screen. Ask students: What kind of animal do you see in this picture? (whale). What do you know about these animals? (answers will vary).
• Ask students: What are the dangers facing whales? (too much hunting, polluted environment).
• Say: In this activity, we're going to learn about whales. How can we protect whales? (not pollute the environment, join groups that are concerned with their safety).

Guided Practice

• Guide students through the next two slides, showing them examples of whales and the way whales live. Always have the students describe how people are different from whales.

Apply

• Play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask students to talk about what they think a whale's living environment is like. After the second game, have them discuss what they would like and dislike about having the body of a whale.

Close

• Ask students: How do you move in the water?
• Summarize for students that since whales are mammals, they have to come above water to breathe. Encourage them to think about how they breathe underwater.