Stranded

Description

Why should we care about mammal strandings? As some of the top predators of the oceans, marine mammals, such as whales, play an important role in the overall health of the marine environment and help ensure balance in the ocean’s ecosystem.

Activities inside this Issue

Explore connections to your own life and experiences while learning about whale strandings. Find out how local communities and volunteers can help these essential marine mammals!

• Activity one
  Discuss questions, watch inspirational clips, then read about how you might help. Engage with Science.
• Activity two
  Think, pair share. Brainstorm all the living organisms in the sea. Categorise them into your own groups and justify why they all belong in that group using their features. Watch a clip on Ramari Stewart, a Mātauranga Māori whale expert and another clip on interesting facts about blue whales. Engage with Science.
• Activity three
  Learn what the keyword ‘mammal’ means. Take time to ‘google’ or ‘doodle’ as you let your subconscious process the information you are learning. Explore what makes an animal a mammal and how intelligent they are. Engage with Science.
• Activity four
  Do you think marine mammals should be rescued when they get stranded? Discuss and write about your opinion and thoughts.
• Additional activities
  More to read and watch.