ORCAS The “Killer Whale”

1. ORCASThe “Killer Whale” PBL: Killer Whales in Danger Lesson 1 Grade 4 Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

2. General Description of Orcas • Orcas live in small, close-knit pods all their life. • The killer whale belongs to the dolphin family and is the biggest dolphin. • The Orca or Killer whale has many teeth and hunts for its food. • The Orca is a predator, it even will attack the huge baby blue whales. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

3. Orcas Pods • Orcas live in pods, groups of orcas ranging from 6-40 whales, composed of mothers and their offspring. • Orcas stay with the pod their entire life, up to four generations have been seen in one pod. • Male orcas typically live anywhere from 30-60 years and females from 40-90 years. • The members of the pod hunt together. • The members of the pod protect the young, sick and injured Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

4. San Juan Island Orcas • There are three resident pods in the San Juan Islands, J, K, L pods. • The pods in the Pacific Northwest are identified by a letter and each whale is given a number. • J Pod has 23 individuals and has the oldest orca, “Granny” J-2. • K pod has 21 Orcas and are always spotted searching for salmon along the shore. • L pod has 43 members, they often break into smaller groups, they live at the South end of the San Juans. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

5. Orcas skin, shape and size • Orcas grow to be about 27-33 feet long. • Orcas weigh from 8,000-12,000 pounds. • The male orca is larger than the female. • The orcas skin is mostly black with distinct white patches. • The males dorsal fin is taller and more upright than females, up to 6 feet tall. • The females dorsal in can be up to 4 feet tall. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

6. Let’s identify the Orca’s anatomy Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

7. What do Orcas Eat? • Orcas eat a variety of marine animals including: • Fish • Squid • Sharks • Smaller whales • Seals • Turtles • Octopi • Birds • Penguins • Young Blue Whales Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

8. The Orcas Food Chain Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

9. Diving and Speed • Orcas can dive to a depth of 100 feet for hunting. • They are very fast swimmers reaching speeds of 30 mph. • You often see orcas breeching (They swim very fast towards the surface and then fall to the side making noise and a large splash.) Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

10. Spouting, Spy Hopping, and Tail Slaps • Spouting- Orcas breather air at the surface of the water through their blowhole near the top of the head. It comes out as a single cloud. • Spy hopping is when Orcas poke their head out of the water to look around. • Tail slapping is when the orcas slap their tail against the water sometimes making a big splash. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

11. Orca Habitat and Range • Orcas live in waters ranging from tropical to arctic. • They are found in all of the worlds oceans and live in both coastal and deep waters. • Orcas don’t make long seasonal migrations, but they will travel hundreds of miles to find seasonal prey. • Orcas will travel south from Alaska and Canada to the Puget sound during winter months to find food. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

12. Orca Vocalization • Orcas communicate by making lots of sounds: • Clicks used in echolocation (determining the distance from an object by how long it takes for the sound to reverberate back to them) • Whistles, squeaks, chirps, and scream-like pulses. • Each pod has their own distinctive accent, they can recognize the members of their pod by this accent. Orca Sounds Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

13. Orca Reproduction • Orcas breed in the winter and early spring. • The mother Orcas is pregnant for 16-17 months. • The calf is born near the warmer surface water tail first. • The baby whale is guided to the surface for their first breath within 10 seconds. • The calf can swim within 30 minutes of being born, it is usually 6-8 feet long at birth. • Females reach maturity from 6-10 years old and males from12-16 years old. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

14. Resources for Killer Whale Information • The Whale Museum’s Frequently Asked Questions about Whales http://www.whale-museum.org/education/library/luna/luna_main.html • Enchanted learning’s Orca, The “Killer Whale” http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Orca.shtml • Whale Images http://www.whale-images.com/killer_whale_facts.htm Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

15. Important Vocabulary Write the following vocabulary words in your response journal/log. You will need to investigate their meanings in the research we do throughout the week and write down their definitions in your own words, you will turn in your journals at the end of the unit. • Species • Habitat • Predator • Prey • Pod • Orphan • Adoption • Vocalization • Breaching • Spouting • Tail Slaps • Endangered • Conservation • Two more Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

16. Lesson One Conclusion Now that you have a basic knowledge of Orcas you are ready to discover the PBL problem for this Unit. Please take a few minutes to record any questions you have from this presentation in your Reflection Journal, you will have an opportunity to research the answers to your questions this week. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas

17. An Orca Debate- Would you adopt an Orca? • Researchers have been studying Orcas in their natural habitat since 1976. Researchers believe that the whales of these pods may be in danger. • You will research Killer Whales in depth. You will learn about their habitat and feeding habits and investigate the problems facing Orcas. • Once you have researched this information in depth you will be assigned a topic to debate. • As a group you will make a Power Point presentation supporting your argument. • You will then make a decision whether or not we as a class should adopt an Orca. Will we take a class vote for our final decision. Christine Marchi Unit Plan Lesson One- Orcas