Overview

You’ve never watched a whale this closely! Invite a virtual whale into your room, built to an amazing scale… Reach out and discover every detail of this mighty mammal in augmented reality, all the way from its blowhole to its flukes!

During this interactive experience, students will work in pairs or small teams to explore a right whale and/or resident orca. The activity that follows the experience asks students to create a 2D whale to scale.

We recommend that you complete this activity as a whole class.

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to describe a right whale and/or resident orca, identify some of its parts and describe its size.

Competencies

Critical thinker, Collaborator, Communicator

Learning objectives

• Make and record observations

• Identify unique features of right whales and/or orcas

• Apply mathematical skills to create a 2D scale model

Before you get started

• Make sure the Ocean School app is installed and up-to-date on each device.

• Find the most optimal place(s) to spawn the whale. We recommend taking students to the gym or outside.

Activity

The students’ activity guide for Where’s Whaledo prompts them to

1. Record the whale’s dimensions using the Where’s Whaledo app.

2. Plan how to create a 2D whale to scale.

3. Build a 2D right whale or orca to scale.

We recommend completing this activity as a whole class. If you do not have the space to create a scale 2D whale, create a math challenge and have students scale the whale down to a size that they can create in the space that you have available.

Other activity ideas

Scavenger hunt

1. Select a whale.

2. Give each pair 2 numbers. Tell them that they need to find the number on the whale and learn the fact that the number reveals.

3. Ask each pair to share what they learned.

Comparison

1. Instruct students to select the right whale in the app.

2. Give each pair 2 numbers. Tell them that they need to find the number on the whale and learn the facts that those numbers reveal.

3. Ask each pair to share what they learned.

4. Instruct students to select Resident Orca in the app.

5. Give each pair 2 numbers. Tell them that they need to find the number on the whale and learn the facts that those numbers reveal.

6. Ask each pair to share what they learned.

7. Discuss key differences between the whales. What special features does each whale have? What if anything is surprising?

Who is Whaledo hanging with now?

1. Invite the group to make a creative picture with the right whale or resident orca.

2. Have students look at where the whale is positioned through the iPad/phone.

3. Next ask them to position themselves for a picture with the whale.

4. Share your whale picture with #oceanschoolnow.