Schools

Sea Watch is a national charity working to conserve and protect whales, dolphins and porpoises around the UK.

Sea Watch carries out surveys around the UK to monitor whales, dolphins and porpoises. We also ask members of the public to carry out surveys and send their results to us.

With this information, we can map numbers of whales and dolphins, using this data, we write scientific papers, talk to the media and government to make sure that they always know about these animals.

This film was made by 10 pupils from Greenhill Secondary school, Tenby. Their film is all about marine pollution and was screened at the Sea Watch Young Persons Environmental Film screening evening at the Torch, Milford Haven.

This film was made by 10 children from St Marks, Fenton and Broadhaven primary schools in Pembrokeshire during the Sea Watch Young Persons Environmental Film Screening Workshops. October 2010. It is all about bycatch and with this film, they aim to raise awareness of this problem. All funding came from Environment Wales.

Teachers working with pupils in Key stages 1 and 2 can now use an education pack designed specifically for primary school children.

Primary school teacher, and specialist science co-ordinator, Sarah Langford has worked in partnership with Sea Watch to produce these educational resources that are curriculum linked.

Activity 1: Mapping cetacean in the UK

Teachers notes 1

UK map outline

mini photos

Photo cards 1

photo cards 2

UK_A3_outline[1]

 

Activity 2: Marine Migrations

Teachers notes on Migrations

Map of Americans

Marine traveller passport

Sightings notes for children

 

Activity 3: Investigating adaptation of cetaceans and understanding water resistance (suitable for KS2)

QCA link Science Unit 4C Friction

Includes extra activities

• Investigating dolphin anatomy
• Whale and Dolphin Identification Quiz

 

Dolphin anatomy worksheet

Dynamic dolphin worksheet

ID sheet 1

ID sheet 2

ID sheet 3

ID sheet 4

Whale & Dolphin Observation Activity

 

Activity 4: Measuring sizes of cetaceans (suitable for KS1 and 2)

Includes extra activities – (suitable for KS2)

• Scale drawing activity
• Numeracy investigation to consifer the relationship between size of cetacean and the maximum time they can hold their breath for.

Teachers notes How big are Cetaceans

Information for How Big am I activity

How big am I? activity sheet

Name and size cards

Scale drawing activity

Whale and Dolphin Breath Chart

 

Sea Watch Investigator Assembly and Ocean Odyssey

Science plays an important part in the Primary Curriculum and children’s enjoyment of practical science activities. To celebrate our oceans and the biodiveristy of life an “Ocean Odyssey” range of acivites for all Key Stages has been developed.

Assembly outline

Ocean Odyssey for Sea Watch

Continue to learn about the UK dolphins. Adopt a dolphin for £42 a year and your school will be sent a monthly newsletter which will keep teachers and pupils up to date with the issues and challenges faced by our marine mammals. Monies raised go directly into funding our research. For further information click here

Fishing nets

Dolphins, whales and porpoises can get entangled in fishing nets, over 10,000 porpoises die a year this way.

Pollution in the sea

Oil, waste and sewage are dumped into our seas.

Loss of food

Fishermen are catching huge numbers of fish, making the competition for food enormous.

Noise

Whales and dolphins use sonar (echoes) to navigate around the sea. Unfortunately, many human activities (drilling for oil, military boats) produce these noises and this confuses the animals.