The short video "A Whale's Tale" and its companion lesson plan will teach the students that even the smallest creatures can make a difference when working together to combat plastics in the ocean. The video tells the story of how marine plastics threaten the environment and the lives of small sea creatures until a whale comes to their rescue. This whale sees the effects of water pollution and does his part to clean up the ocean. Meanwhile, on land, a young son of a fisherman is trying to bring awareness to the amount of plastic in the ocean. In the end, the small boy's efforts are rewarded and he, and the other humans, can help the whale.
In the companion lesson plan, the students are led through a series of discussion questions that focus on Emotion, Reasoning and Actions. Afterwards, the younger students will recycle plastic water bottles into a useful item with a partner and put their creations on display. Older students will conduct a lunch bag audit and graph the results. They are challenged to make their lunches more eco-friendly and conduct a second audit.
This resource also contains a Home Component with activities suitable for home or classroom use.
This lesson would work well in any subject area as the learning activities are well integrated. It would pair well with the No Plastic Challenge as a unit of study. It could also be used in conjunction with any of the environmental days such as World Oceans Day, Earth Day, or Waste Reduction Week.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | The lesson plan addresses all of the dimensions of the issue by beginning with discussion questions that focus on relating the film to the students' lives and actions. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | The younger students are show how to reuse a plastic water bottle and make a useful item while older students take steps to reduce the amount of waste in their lunches. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | The discussion questions allow the students to explore their beliefs and values. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Poor/Not considered | This is not a focus of this resource. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Good | |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Very Good | |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | The open ended discussion questions allow students to explore the topic in their own fashion. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Very Good |
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Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory | |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | Unfortunately, there are no strategies for learners who may experience difficulties. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Good | |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Poor/Not considered | Unfortunately, the lesson plan is not structured with activities that could be easily evaluated. There are no tools provided. The teacher will have to find their own assessment opportunities for this lesson. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Poor/Not considered | Case studies are not included in this lesson plan. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Satisfactory | There is limited choice for students in this lesson plan. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |