Introduction

    Each year, marine scientists track migratory patters of whales to study how these whales are affected by environmental changes. For example, scientists have found that toxic pollutants in the water are surpressing whale immune systems causing many whales to become sick and die.
    Gray whales make the longest migration of any mammal on earth. During this lesson you will become a marine scientist or whale researcher and plot the migration routes whales make on a map. One group will plot the migration of male gray whales, while another group will plot the migration of a mother whale and her calf. 
    By the end of this lesson, you will have a basic understanding of map elements as well as a knowledge of where and why grey whales migrate each year. 

By the time you have completed this lesson you will have:

• Defined migration
• Determined the migratory route of gray whales
• Compared and contrasted the route males make to the route a female gray whale makes with her calf. 
• Learned where and why gray whales migrate 
• Plotted data on a map.
• Determined how far whales migrate each year
• Learned where gray whales spend their summers and why
• Learned where gray whales spend their winters and why
  
• Analyzed Gray Whales

The final product will consist of the students comparing and contrasting their data points on the map and writing a couple of paragraphs summerizing what they have learned through this process.

To accomplish the task, students should follow these steps.

1. First you'll be assigned to different teams. Team two and team four will be research male gray whale migration patters and team one and team three will research females and their calves migration patterns. 
2. Once you have been assigned your group, begin to research gray whales. How long are gray whales, what oceans do they live in, what are a few of their behaviors, are they endangered, and any other facts you notice or learn.
1. Here are a couple sites to help you begin researching gray whales. 
1. Gray Whales
2. Gray Whale
   
3. Now, begin researching the migration paths gray whales take each year. Note where they are by months, and what they are doing. Try to focus on the type of whale your group was assigned. (For example, group three would focus their search on female and baby gray whales.)
1. Here are a couple web sites to help you with your research. Don't forget to take notes in your journel to help you remember what you have learned. Try to include any new words you learned too!
1. Gray Whale Migration
2. Gray Whale Interactive Migration Map
4. Next, using what you have learned about male and female gray whale migration behavior, use the following worksheet to plot data onto your printed world map. If time permits, answer the questions on the bottom of the worksheet to further your understanding of gray whales. 
1. Gray Whale Migration coordinates
   
5. Finally, in at least two paragraphs, summerize what you have learned about gray whales. Why do they migrate farther than an other mammal each year? Do male and female gray whales take different paths? What are some challenges these whales face on this long trip? What did you find most interesting about this mammal?
   

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Students will be able to state where gray whales migrate each year.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of gray whale migration although they are unsure of where they go.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of gray whale migration although they can only explain one place they visit.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of gray whale migration and are able to explain where they begin and where their migration ends.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of gray whale migration by explaining where gray whale migration begins, ends and two additional details.
Students will be able to state why gray whales migrate such long distances.	Students are able to demonstrate their undertandig of why gray whales migrate by giving one detail.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of why gray whales migrate by giving at at least two reasons behind their migration.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of why gray whales migrate by giving at least four reasons behind thier migration.	Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of why gray whales migrate by giving at least six reasons behind gray whale migration.
Students will plot the data of at least once whales migratory path.	Student attemps to plot points.	Student correctly labels oceans but is innacurate in plotting points.	Student correctly labels oceans and plots most of their data points correctly.	Student correctly labels oceans and land masses on map as well as correctly plots all data points.
Students will write at least two paragraphs summerizing what they have learned.	Student makes no attempt at writing down what they have learned.	Student attempts to write a paragraph but lacks details does not grasp the main idea.	Students paragraph is well written, and main details are addressed but not all questions are answered.	Students paragraph is well organized, all questions are addressed and answered correctly. Parapgraph has been edited with correct punctuations.

    At the end of this lesson students will have learned all about gray whales including their size, behavior and migration patterns. They will have plotted data points of a male and female gray whale on their migration  and compared and contrasted them. They will have also written a paragraph summarizing what they have learned. 

    Now that you have learned all about gray whales, what other whales do you want to learn about?
    

    You could check out books from the library to learn more, or you could investigate futher by exploring the following sites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtMF49bR28

http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/episodes/whales/about.html

http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/pdf/OceanAdv-OnTheMove.pdf

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/gwhale/annual_apr.html

http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/cetaceans/gray-whale.html

The following books would be a great acompaniment to this WebQuest:

Gray Whales by Megan M. Gunderson

What is a California Gray Whale? by Jake A. Graves

Gray Whales (Returning Wildlife) by John E. Becker. 

The Migration of a Whale by Tanya Kant