Topsfield, MA 01983 * Info@thewhalemobile.com * 617-838-2646
Option 1: Entire School gets to go in the whale!
Our program offers a personalized, hands-on experience for each class we visit. By working with one class at a time, we can tailor the session to the students' interests or teachers requests while still covering key concepts we aim to teach.
Each class spends 40 minutes with one of our team members. The first 20 minutes take place inside the whale, where we dive into basic biology and anatomy, exploring how whales are similar to and different from humans, as well as their vital role in our planet’s ecosystem. Students all get to touch bones, teeth and baleen inside the whale!
For the remaining 20 minutes, we move outside the whale to engage in a grade-appropriate activity that reinforces the learning from the first part of the session and ties into what students are learning in their classrooms. That is outlined below:
"The students and the staff at SBCA loved The Whalemobile! They were very excited to not only see a life size whale. But were very excited learning about whales and their importance to the environment. A great buzz was floating around the school for the 2 days of the event!" ~Benji Clause
Option 2: Select a Grade: Enjoy an Annual Visit!
PRogram specifics
Many schools have us come see a specific grade each year. The best part of this is when the kids that have already seen the program yell, "The Whalemobile!" because they are excited to see us back!
Just like the Classic Program, each class spends 40 minutes with one of our team members. The first 20 minutes take place inside the whale, where we dive into basic biology and anatomy, exploring how whales are similar to and different from humans, as well as their vital role in our planet’s ecosystem. Students all get to touch bones, teeth and baleen inside the whale!
For the remaining 20 minutes, we move outside the whale to engage in a grade-appropriate activity that reinforces the learning from the first part of the session and ties into what students are learning in their classrooms (similar to the classic program). This is where we can tailor information to relate more to what teachers are covering in their classrooms!
Why visit Every year?
At The Whalemobile, we believe that integrating our programming into the curriculum is essential for fostering a deeper understanding of our planet's ecosystems. Many educators rely on land-based animals and ecosystems to teach concepts like survival and ecological balance. The Whalemobile bridges the gap by helping students apply their knowledge of land-based systems to ocean ecosystems.
Why does this matter? The ocean is vital to sustaining life on Earth, shaping the environment and ecosystems that directly impact human health and well-being. No matter how far children live from the coast, it’s crucial they understand the ocean’s significance, what challenges it faces, and how they can help protect it.
Option 3: Diving Deeper (Follow Up Programs)
**BRAND NEW**
These programs are classroom-based and do not include the inflatable whale, making them an excellent follow-up if your school has previously hosted our inflatable whale visit. Perfect for the following year, these 45-minute lessons are designed to engage students in collaborative activities such as completing tasks, solving challenges, or creating projects together.
kindergarten
Ocean animals are classified in a similar way to land animals: mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. We will explore different animals in the ocean and define their characteristics. Finally, students will identify animals from videos.
1st grade
We will explore what characteristics make up reptiles, mammals, birds, and fish in the ocean. How can we recognize a type of animal based on its body parts? Students will then create their own animals and share with us where it lives.
2nd grade
Animals in the ocean need food, water, shelter, oxygen and space to survive. We will go through a variety of animals that live in the ocean and talk about how they survive. Finally, students will take what they learned and create their own ocean organism and share with us how it survives.
3rd grade
Many animals in the ocean create sounds to communicate with each other. We will explore different animal sounds and how scientists can detect those sounds to learn about where animals can be found in the ocean.
4th grade
Scientists study humpback whales by looking at the patterns on their tails. Students will match whale tails, explore how and why they can change over time. Then, students will evaluate before and after pictures of individual whales and the class will identify the main threats that humpbacks off the coast of MA face.
5th grade
We will explore the ocean ecosystem and put together a food web. Food is a major predictor of where animals will be found. Right whales have shifted their location in the past 15 years. Students will graph actual sighting data from right whales and make observations about what has changed. Can they predict there they will be next summer
Option 4: Virtual Programs
We love talking with kids about the United States. We have done virtual programs in California, Alaska, Colorado, Texas, North Dakota, Georgia and Florida. Because we talk with one class at a time, it's been such an amazing opportunity to connect kids anywhere to the ocean!
These programs are available:
Whales of new england (elementary and middle)
This is a virtual Whalemobile experience. Cynde will do an initial presentation about whales, and then students will see the whale inflate and go inside. Topics covered are baleen and teeth, communication, individual identification, and importance of whales to our planet (spoiler...it's their poop). The program finishes with a discussion of marine debris and what we can do to help protect the oceans.
Let's go on a Virtual whale watch (tailored to any age)
Cynde has led over 2000 whale watch trips out of Gloucester, MA. We will "virtually" leave Gloucester Harbor and head out to sea aboard the Privateer IV from Seven Seas Whale Watch. Students will learn about the species of whales that are observed off the coast of Massachusetts. We will discuss why they are there, see videos of behaviors they do, and learn about individual humpback whales. If you have never been on a whale watch, this is a close second.
whales and humans: impacts of interaction (middle school)
This presentation explores how whales and humans use the ocean, when and where overlap occurs in time and space, and how that is impacting whales today. Students will brainstorm what we could do to decrease the threats to whales. We will end by discussing their solutions.
S.T.E.A.M. your passion (upper middle and high school)
This program is for upper middle school and high school students. Cynde will share her story about how she took her childhood passion for whales and made it her career. She will introduce students to whales and how they are researched today illustrating that you can take many different roads to find or create the career that you are looking for. Science, technology, engineering/education, art and math are all critically important disciplines when addressing any topic—especially conservation. She will finish by sharing how this childhood passion led to a Guinness World Record!