Blubber!!!

Our unit study of Amos and Boris has come to an end. It's been wonderful to hear students using the big vocabulary words such as, "I hope there will be no 'incidents' in our class today," or, "Look at the 'phosphorescent' color of that water!" 

Just to let you know, I am keeping all of the comprehension papers pertaining to Amos and Boris. We have compiled everything into a folder, including the "Part 2" of the story that they wrote and illustrated! They will be returned to you at the Open House/Achievement Expo in the spring. 

We wanted to relate our Language Arts unit to science, so we learned about a variety of whales in the ocean. We also wondered how these warm-blooded mammals could survive in the Arctic Ocean.

The answer is...BLUBBER!! 

We simulated the thick layer of blubber that surrounds the whale by creating a "blubber glove" using Crisco. 

At first, we stuck our bare hands inside of the freezing cold ice water. 

Then, we compared how it would feel inside of the protective coat of our man-made blubber. 

It was pretty amazing how even a 1-2 centimeter thick protection of blubber could keep our hands quite comfortable in the freezing water. 

Don't you love their dramatic faces in these pics??

Good bye, Amos and Boris. It was great spending a couple of weeks with you both!