Name: Blubber Fun School:

Subject/Grade: Science- 2
nd
grade`
Length of Lesson: one class period
hat other curricular areas !ill the unit co"er# $ocabular%
Stage & ' (esired )esults
Standard*s+: Link to CDE Website
.
,nderstandings:
Students will understand that
Blubber keeps aquatic mammals
warm
-ssential .uestions:
If people are mammals, why dont we hae
blubber!
What do other animals hae or do to keep
warm!
Do you think that animals who lie in colder
waters hae more blubber than animals who
lie in warm water!
Dolphins, whales, and seals hae lun"s and
nurse their youn", so they are still mammals#
$ammals are warm%blooded, which means
that their body temperature stays the same,
but they still hae to keep warm#
&o in order to keep warm, animals hae
blubber
'nderstand the function and purpose of
blubber in marine mammals#
'nderstand that blubber keeps animals warm
like clothes keep people warm#
$ocabular%
Blubber/ !arm-blooded/ insulation
Stage 2 ' 0ssessment -"idence
What will you accept as evidence that shows the students understand
the concepts?
Attach assessment rubric
1erformance 2as3s:
Students can understand and
e4plain the function of
blubber5
Students can comprehend
instructions
Students can understand that
"egetable oil and a rubber
glo"e 3eeps their hands !arm
in cold !ater/ just as sea
mammals need blubber to
3eep !arm5
6ther -"idence:
Students !ho understand the
concept can assist other
students !ho are struggling5
Stage 7 ' Learning 1lan
&5 Before going outside/ gather students and materials and
inform students !e are doing an e4periment outside5
8a"e them bring a pencil and clipboard from classroom
25 8a"e students sit on grass in semicircle
75 Fill a buc3et !ith a hose5
95 Gi"e students a recap of blubber *see abo"e+5
:5 Sho! students the acti"it%5 8a"e one student "olunteer5
;5 8a"e "olunteer put on rubber glo"e and stic3 his/her
hand in buc3et5 2hen as3 students ho! "olunteer reacted5
8a"e another student !rite do!n the reaction5
<5 -4plain that !ithout an% =protection>/ child?s hand feels
cold5 ithout blubber/ marine mammals !ould also be
cold
@5 1ut oil on student?s hand and put glo"e o"er it5 8a"e
student put hand in !ater5 Note to other students that
the oil represents blubber/ and that the "olunteer did not
feel cold this time because the oil 3ept him/her !arm5
8a"e other student !rite reaction again5
A5 (i"ide students into small groups5 8a"e students line up
to get a !ater buc3et5 Fill it !ith !ater and bring to spot
on la!n5 8a"e students sing songs !hile !aiting to
pre"ent boredom5
&B5 Gi"e each student a graph and gi"e each group one
glo"e5 2ell students to ha"e e"er%one tr% the e4periment
!ith just the glo"e5 0fter students are done/ ha"e one per
group tell me the% are read% to tr% the oil5 C !ill appl% oil
to students? hands5
&&5 0fter students are finished !ith oil/ ha"e them !ash
their hands5 C !ill help clean buc3ets5
&25 8a"e students sit in circle and discuss e4periment
and as3 Duestions5
0ccommodations/(ifferentiations:
Students ma% need help putting oil on their hands5 0cti"it%
should ta3e place outside/ !eather permitting5 0ccess to a hose
!ill help students !ith clean up5 6ther!ise/ !e can do acti"it%
in a room !ith access to a sin3 if classroom has no sin35 C !ill
gi"e students pre-made graphs5 ,nli3e the original acti"it%
*see belo!+ C !ill gi"e students a list of reactions to choose
from: pulled hand out/ 3ept hand in !ater/ felt cold/ felt !arm/
etc5 Cf necessar%/ C !ill tell students to as3 the "olunteer ho!
he/she felt/ as students ma% ha"e trouble !ith noticing other?s
feelings on their o!n5
Eaterials/)esources:
se"eral child-siFed rubber glo"es/ bo!ls or buc3ets/ cold !ater/
"egetable oil/ ne! paint brush for appl%ing oil/ lots of soap
*something to help remo"e oil !ould help+/ pre-made graphs
!ith columns for students names/ use of oil *%es or no+/ and
reaction to !ater *!ith !ords to choose from+5
(The original assignment (seen below) is from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-
lesson-plans/underwater-animals.cfm.)
Objectives
Students will understand the following:
1. Blubber is a layer of fat beneath the skin of many sea animals.
2. Blubber acts as an insulator, helping sea mammals to keep warm in cold waters.
Materials
The following materials will be required for each group:
Rubber gloes
!arge bowl
"ater
#ce
Solid egetable shortening
$utdoor thermometer %optional&
Procedures
1. Before beginning this actiity, students should hae the following background information:
"hales, seals, dolphins, and porpoises are not fish, but mammals, which means they are warm blooded.
"arm'blooded ocean animals( body temperatures remain constant) their body temperatures do not ad*ust to
changes in the surrounding temperature.
"arm'blooded ocean animals, in order to maintain a constant body temperature, need a way to keep warm
when the surrounding temperature is cold.
2. +sk students how they think sea mammals,such as whales, seals, dolphins, and porpoises,stay warm in cold
water.
3. -ake sure students know what blubber is,a thick layer of fat beneath the skin of sea mammals. Tell them that they
are going to do an e.periment to find out how blubber helps sea mammals stay warm.
4. /iide the class into groups, giing each group a large bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes and a rubber gloe.
5. /irect students to take turns putting on the rubber gloe and submerging the gloed hand in the ice water for 01
seconds. 2ae each student tell the group how his or her hand feels after being submerged. %#f you wish, hae the
student insert a thermometer into the gloe and wait one minute until the temperature registers.&
6. Tell students to record each student(s reaction %and optional thermometer reading& on a chart they deise themseles.
The chart should hae columns for group members( names and for members( reactions %and an optional column for
thermometer readings& without 3blubber.3 The chart should also hae a column for reactions %and an optional column
for thermometer readings& with 3blubber.3
7. 4e.t, hae students take turns repeating the procedure, with each group member thickly coating his or her hand with
solid egetable shortening before putting on the gloe. 2ae each student tell the group how his or her hand feels this
time. %#f using a thermometer to measure the temperature, students should wait until the thermometer registers room
temperature again before proceeding with this step.& 5roup members should add data from this step to their chart.
8. /iscuss results with the class. "hy did students( hands feel warmer when coated with solid egetable shortening than
when uncoated6 "hat does this e.periment tell them about the function of blubber in sea mammals6
9. 2ae students wash their hands with soap and water after the e.periment.
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Adaptations
7ounger students will need help coating their hands with the shortening and with cleaning up. #f students will record data on
charts, you might prepare the charts for the students in adance. Rather than hae students work on their own, you might
hae one or more olunteers perform the e.periment, with your help, as a demonstration for the class.
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iscussion !uestions
1. Besides blubber, what are some other physical characteristics that help keep animals keep warm in cold climates6
2. Think of some animals that lie in cold climates and some that lie in hot climates. 8ompare and contrast their
physical characteristics.
3. 2umans hae a layer of fat under the skin, but not enough to keep us warm. 2ow do humans keep warm in cold
weather6
4. 9nderwater mammals differ in many ways from mammals that lie on land. #n what ways are land mammals and
underwater mammals similar6 "hat common characteristics qualify both groups of animals to be called mammals6
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"valuation
7ou can ealuate groups on their charts using the following three'point rubric:

#$ree points% well designed) clear and carefully prepared) each group member(s name and reaction %and thermometer
reading& listed

#&o points% adequately designed) legible and satisfactorily prepared) some data missing

One point% inadequately designed) carelessly prepared) significant data missing

7ou can ask your students to contribute to the assessment rubric by determining seeral acceptable ways the chart could
be designed.
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"'tensions
"i($t #$in(s about )$ar*s
#nite students to brainstorm ideas and questions about sharks. Then encourage them to do research to answer any
questions they hae. 2ae each student or group of students create a storyboard for a teleision documentary about
sharks. :ach student or group should fold a large sheet of paper into eight parts and illustrate or write eight of the important
ideas about sharks they would want to show. Students should write captions for all drawings.
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)u((ested +eadin(s
eep,)ea -ents% .ivin( /orlds /it$out )un
;ohn <. "aters, 8obblehill Books, =>>?.
Our Oceans% "'peri0ents and Activities in Marine )cience
@aul <leisher, -illbrook @ress, =>>A.
)a1ari 2eneat$ t$e )ea% #$e /onder /orld o1 t$e 3ort$ Paci1ic 4oast
/iane Swanson, Sierra 8lub Books for 8hildren, =>>?.
5iller /$ale
8aroline +rnold, -orrow ;unior Books, =>>?.
Orca )on(
-ichael 8. +rmour, Soundprints, =>>?.
6ree /ill78 6ree 5ei*o8
:arth #sland #nstitute, :arth #sland ;ournal, Spring =>>A.
All About /$ales
/eborah Boacs, Third Story Books, =>>?.
2ab7 /$ales rin* Mil*
Barbara ;uster :sbensen, 2arper8ollins 8hildrens Books, =>>?.
#$e 2irt$ o1 9u0pbac* /$ale
Robert -atero, Simon C Schuster, =>>D.
4alls o1 t$e /ild
-ichelle +lten, +nimals, 4oember =>>?.
/$ale 4$atter% Ma*in( )ense o1 Marine Ma00als: 4lic*s and 4alls
Tina +dler, Science 4ews, -ay EA, =>>D.
)$ar*s% -oracious 9unters o1 t$e )ea
#sidro SancheF, 5areth Steens @ublishers, =>>D.
)$ar* 6acts
!ynn -. Stone, Rourke 8orporation, =>>D.
)$ar*s
:rik /. Stoops, Sterling @ublishing 8o., =>>?.
#$e )$ar* 4allers
:ric 8ampbell, 2arcourt Brace C 8o., =>>?.
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.in*s
Ore(on 4oast A;uariu0
This is the home page of the aquarium where Beiko is liing now.
<nternational Marine Ma00al Project =<MMP>
This page is where the :arth #sland #nstitute shares information about its efforts to protect marine mammals.
/$ale )on(s
This site is an educational center about whales and people.
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-ocabular7
8lick on any of the ocabulary words below to hear them pronounced and used in a sentence.
adapt
e1inition% To become ready for a new situation by changing.
4onte't% !ife on this stuff is tough and only tough creatures able to change, or adapt, can surie.
0a00als
e1inition% +nimals which are warm'blooded, breath air, and nurse their young.
4onte't% Though they spend their whole lies in water, whales are not fish. They are mammals, like us.
breec$in(
e1inition% +n action of whales that inoles leaping into the air and crashing back onto the water(s surface.
4onte't% Breeching,leaping into the air and crashing back onto the water(s surface,is one of their most common
behaiors.
predator
e1inition% +n animal that hunts one or more other animals for its food.
4onte't% Sharks are ery good predators because of their e.cellent eyesight. Their eyes are sensitie to light and can see
the shadows of other fish ery easily.
Sorry, no sound aailable.
species
e1inition% + class of animals with common physical features.
4onte't% There are more than 0A1 different species of sharks, such as the 5alapagos shark, the Blue shark, and the ery
dangerous Tiger shark.
Sorry, no sound aailable.
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)tandards
This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed below. These standards are drawn from 8ontent
Bnowledge: + 8ompendium of Standards and Benchmarks for B'=E :ducation: End :dition and hae been proided
courtesy of the-id'continent Research for :ducation and !earningin +urora, 8olorado.

?rade level% B'E
)ubject area% life science
)tandard%
Bnows about the diersity and unity that characteriFe life.
2enc$0ar*s%
Bnows that plants and animals hae e.ternal features that help them thrie in different enironments.
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4redit
Summer @roductions, #nc.