Here's a Deeper Dive Into Program Content

Whether you're planning a visit for one grade or your entire elementary school,

we have a specific plan for what we cover at each grade level.
Our content is designed to align with what students are learning in science—but if your students show a strong interest in a particular topic, we're always happy to follow their curiosity and explore it further! If you have something you want us to talk about, let us know, we might just have an activity about that topic (like evolution, threats...).
Read on to see the key concepts we cover by grade.

Inside the Whale: We Tailor This Content to Each Grade

It's All About Anatomy

Students enter Nile, our life-sized inflatable whale, and sit on the floor inside a realistic model of a whale's internal anatomy. Visible structures—such as the heart, lungs, ribs, stomach, and intestines—all support visual learning. During the 20-minute session, one of our educators explains how the organs function, how whales breathe and eat, and how they are adapted to live in the ocean. The session also includes how scientists study whales, the challenges they face in the wild, and concludes with a discussion about whale poop—what it tells us and why it matters for ocean health.

Outside the Whale: Grade Specific Activities

DO IT, DO IT (K & 1st GRADE)

Students get to become whales! This active game allows them to (pretend to) eat like whales, move like whales, and breathe like whales. Depending on the class, we might focus on migration, how they communicate, or their social structure.

(K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.)

SURVIVAL 101 (2nd & 3RD GRADE)

Animals need food, water, shelter, oxygen, and space to survive. In this hands-on activity, students will use maps and animal models to explore different ocean habitats. We'll discuss the unique strategies that marine animals use to adapt and thrive in their environments.

(3-LS2-1: Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.)

WHAT A FLUKE (4TH GRADE)

Students will understand that not only do whales use their tails to swim and defend themselves, but the tails can tell a story about the whale's life. Students will match whale tails and analyze what might have happened to that whale based on scars.

(4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.)

ECOSYSTEMS (5TH GRADE)

Students will have the opportunity to construct an ocean food web, exploring where plankton reside in the water column, how they obtain nutrients (including from whale poop), and how energy flows through the entire ecosystem. We'll also dive into the effects of ecosystem changes, discussing how these shifts impact whales and the delicate balance of marine life.

(5-PS3-1: Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, and motion and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.) Click here to see what happens.