introduction
 
 

In the story, " Dear Mr. Blueberry," by Simon James, Emily tells her teacher
about a pet whale that is living in her pond. Can this be real? Y ou and
your team must send a letter to Emily telling her why or why not.

Student Roles:
Your partner and you must work cooperatively to gather whale information.  You need to complete the tasks 1 to 6.  You will write your final letter by yourself. 

Process and Task

1. Read the story, "Dear Mr. Blueberry." Make a list of facts that Mr.
Blueberry tells Emily.

2. Mr. Blueberry tells Emily that whales are migratory. What does it mean
when a whale migrates?
Add this to your list of facts.

3. Use the listed internet resources to find more information about whales.

4. Create a Whale Cluster Map. Using Inspiration or Appleworks, record
specific whale information.

5. Whale vs. Fish- Print this page and complete the venn diagram.

6. Create a group big book including at least 6 interesting whale facts
that you have found. Illustrate your book and add a whale of a title!

Now, by yourself, plan your letter to Emily using correct friendly letter format. Use a
topic sentence and at least 6 details (facts) to answer the question, "Can a whale be living in Emily's pond?" Convince the reader why or why not.
Proofread your letter for punctuation, capitalization, complete sentences
and spelling. Type a final copy and illustrate.
Open and print this page.
 

Resources

* http://www.gn.apc.org/whales/WHALES.htm
* Sea World Shamu Cam
* Enchanted Learning- Whales
* Humpback Whale Sounds
Whale sounds
 
 

Evaluation

Your friendly letter to Emily will be evaluated based on the following
criteria:
 

Does my letter follow the correct friendly letter format ?	1        2        3         4         5
Does my letter have a topic sentence?	1        2        3         4         5
Does my letter have 6 details/facts to support the topic?	1        2        3         4         5
Does my letter have correct punctuation and capitalization?	1        2        3         4         5
Do I use complete sentences in my letter?	1        2        3         4         5
Are my words spelled correctly?	1        2        3         4         5

Total Points __________

25-30  points = CA,  20-25  points = P,  Below 20 points = NI                __________
 

Conclusion

Whales are fascinating creatures! We hope you enjoyed this whale of an
adventure!
 

Just for fun!

Make an origami whale.

Graph whale sizes.

Whale word hunt.
 
 
 

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