An-Animal-a-Month: Whales
Take a deep dive into the watery world of whales …
Pull up a chair at one of the most extraordinary banquets on Earth – a whale fall! With the witty Dr. Fish as your narrator, you’ll be blown away by the unimaginable creatures who come to feast, in succession, when a whale passes. From sharks to hagfish, giant roly-poly bugs to chemoautotrophic bacteria, a whale’s passing brings sustenance to myriad others! This title is rife with astounding facts, marine vocabulary, and deep back matter about the scientists and institutions studying whale falls. Ages 6-8.
Kind of nonfiction: Technically, the inclusion of a fictional narrator moves this book into the informational fiction realm. However, all the information about whale falls is true and children won’t be confused between fact and fiction. To me, it reads like Expository Literature – highly focused and engaging, enriched by the strong voice, text structure, and text features. (My categorization using Melissa Stewart’s 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.
Ties to Common Core State Standards: The ample context clues and glossary make this a great book for addressing the literacy standards CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.L.4.6. (about domain-specific words and phrases) and L.5.4.C for utilizing glossaries.
Ties to Next Generation Science Standards:
2-LS4-1(compare the diversity of life in different habitats) – Throughout the book, students will learn about specific animals and bacteria that thrive in a deep ocean habitat. Pair this title with others to compare organisms across different habitats.
3-LS4-3 (only some organisms can survive well in a particular habitat) – The narrator, Dr. Fish, explains that he can’t survive the great water pressure deep down in the ocean. He also explains that plants can’t grow there because there is no light. Special adaptations allow some sea creatures to thrive there. The text and back matter give examples of such adaptations.
5-LS2-1 (model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment) – Students will see how protein and fat from the whale are consumed by scavengers and decomposers. Even the remaining whale bones become supports for corals.
Plunge into this wildly informative whale book! Carefully crafted spreads with delightful, detailed illustrations and uncommon information showcase fourteen species of whales. Playfully interspersed between the whales, find spreads about whale evolution, feeding, communication, migrations, how to help whales, and so much more. Ages 5-8.
Kind of nonfiction: Browsable Nonfiction picture book. Pick a whale or topic from the illustrated table of contents or just open to any page and begin reading – no need to read the 72 pages cover to cover, or all at one seating. Students will find fascinating facts for reports. (My categorization using Melissa Stewart’s 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.)
Join the race to save a whale! This taught, real-life drama places the reader in the middle of the action as divers risk their lives to cut the lines entangling a humpback off the coast of San Fransisco. The outcome is not only a successful rescue but also a rare window into the heart and mind of an awe-inspiring mammal. Though it’s an older story, published in 2013, it’s my favorite picture book narrative about a whale. Ages 6-8.
Kind of nonfiction: Narrative – immerses the reader in the experience of a whale rescue. (My categorization using Melissa Stewart’s 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.)
Same rescue, different story! This book is based on the same incident as the Eye of the Whale: A Rescue Story. It’s a fun exercise to compare and contrast these two tellings. Which do you prefer and why? Ages 4-6.
Kind of nonfiction: Narrative. (My categorization using Melissa Stewart’s 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.)
Find out what’s it’s like to be a whale researcher! You’ll follow several scientists as they formulate questions and spend the field season traveling the seas, photographing orcas, listening in on their conversations, collecting tissue samples and scat, and piloting drones. Then you’ll see them analyzing samples and writing up results back at their laboratories. You’ll even witness how their new findings help shape policies aimed at saving this endangered species. Ages 10-12.
Kind of nonfiction: Narrative – you’ll experience the thrills and frustrations of conducting field research . (My categorization using Melissa Stewart’s 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.)