Community building over a narwhal tusk, just another typical day at QAE!
Ms. Lisa, from NOAA fisheries, shared a wealth of artifacts and knowledge with our 2nd graders today. As a teacher, I get to spend my days with faces that light up and moments full of curiousity and wonder. It is gratifying to have our kids so excited about learning that they want to share what they've learned with me and anyone who will listen! Chances are, if you walk into our classroom you may need to take a seat and stay awhile because they are ready to tell you a thing or two about WHALES!!
Thank you to all of those whom took our survey about the potential whale watching field trip with island adventures. We have heard from about 55/77 2nd grade families and would love to hear from everyone before taking our next steps. Here are a couple things to note to answer some of the questions/comments shared so far:
* We would be on a private boat that holds 100 people. The boat has plenty of bathrooms and indoor and outdoor space.
* A naturalist will be going with us to offer a tour of the wildlife we see.
* The company has assured us that they follow strict guidelines for whale watching and do not go closer to the whales then they are allowed. However some whales do choose to swim closer to the boats after they are "parked" in the water.
* The company does tours with 2nd graders in Anacortes every spring and has experience with children.
Thank you to all of those whom took our survey about the potential whale watching field trip with island adventures. We have heard from about 55/77 2nd grade families and would love to hear from everyone before taking our next steps. Here are a couple things to note to answer some of the questions/comments shared so far:
* We would be on a private boat that holds 100 people. The boat has plenty of bathrooms and indoor and outdoor space.
* A naturalist will be going with us to offer a tour of the wildlife we see.
* The company has assured us that they follow strict guidelines for whale watching and do not go closer to the whales then they are allowed. However some whales do choose to swim closer to the boats after they are "parked" in the water.
* The company does tours with 2nd graders in Anacortes every spring and has experience with children.
Favorite whale facts we've learned...
Abby: "Even though the blue whale is the largest whale, it doesn't have the largest baleen plates."
Andrew: "Whales, like their relatives dolphins and porpoises, are the only mammals to live in the water their whole lives."
Angela: "The pilot whale has a big melon."
Cole: "A killer whale can eat a shark."
Corrina: "Stranded means stuck on shore."
Dana: "Killer whales can kill a shark in an instant."
Esther: "Only male narwhal whales have tusks."
Finnegan: "Whales use their blowholes to make sounds."
Finn: "A blue whale can make a sound that is louder than a jet engine."
Gordon: "A whale's forehead is called a melon."
Iris: "Only baleen whales have grooves. Grooves help them make space to get the water in and out."
Juliet: "A minke whale is the smallest baleen whale and their baleen is a whitish-brown color."
Kacey: "A whale's spray smells stale and fishy!"
Lachlan: "A pilot whale weighs 2 tons. 1 ton = 2,000 pounds so it weighs 4,000 pounds."
Lowell: "You can tell what kind of whale it is by the look of the spray out a whale's blowhole."
Mackenzie: "A baby blue whale is the size of an elephant."
Margaux: "The narwhal's tusk has nerves. Its tusk is its horn."
Marley: "Narwhals only have 1 tooth but a female narwhal doesn't have a tusk."
Matteo: "A killer whale could flip a shark, kill it, and eat it. It would win the fight."
Max: "An orca is the biggest dolphin."
Nicholas: "The blue whale may be big, but its baleen is small."
Penelope: "Krill can grow to about 6 or so cm. long. We saw the bigger krill from the antarctic."
Rowan: "The fin whale's nickname is the razorback."
Sydney: "The right whale got its name because hunters called it the 'right whale to hunt.' It's a slow swimmer and floats once killed."
William: "A blue whale can weigh as much as 35 elephants."
Abby: "Even though the blue whale is the largest whale, it doesn't have the largest baleen plates."
Andrew: "Whales, like their relatives dolphins and porpoises, are the only mammals to live in the water their whole lives."
Angela: "The pilot whale has a big melon."
Cole: "A killer whale can eat a shark."
Corrina: "Stranded means stuck on shore."
Dana: "Killer whales can kill a shark in an instant."
Esther: "Only male narwhal whales have tusks."
Finnegan: "Whales use their blowholes to make sounds."
Finn: "A blue whale can make a sound that is louder than a jet engine."
Gordon: "A whale's forehead is called a melon."
Iris: "Only baleen whales have grooves. Grooves help them make space to get the water in and out."
Juliet: "A minke whale is the smallest baleen whale and their baleen is a whitish-brown color."
Kacey: "A whale's spray smells stale and fishy!"
Lachlan: "A pilot whale weighs 2 tons. 1 ton = 2,000 pounds so it weighs 4,000 pounds."
Lowell: "You can tell what kind of whale it is by the look of the spray out a whale's blowhole."
Mackenzie: "A baby blue whale is the size of an elephant."
Margaux: "The narwhal's tusk has nerves. Its tusk is its horn."
Marley: "Narwhals only have 1 tooth but a female narwhal doesn't have a tusk."
Matteo: "A killer whale could flip a shark, kill it, and eat it. It would win the fight."
Max: "An orca is the biggest dolphin."
Nicholas: "The blue whale may be big, but its baleen is small."
Penelope: "Krill can grow to about 6 or so cm. long. We saw the bigger krill from the antarctic."
Rowan: "The fin whale's nickname is the razorback."
Sydney: "The right whale got its name because hunters called it the 'right whale to hunt.' It's a slow swimmer and floats once killed."
William: "A blue whale can weigh as much as 35 elephants."