In the story, Amos is surprised that Boris, a whale, is considered a mammal. He even asks, “Are you sure you’re a mammal? You smell more like a fish.” A great way to incorporate science into this reading lesson is by having students research the differences between marine mammals and fish. Students will find out what characteristics a marine mammal has and how they are different from the characteristics of a fish.
First, as a whole class, brainstorm a list of everything you know about marine mammals and everything you know about fish. Then, to compile more evidence, students should work in partners or small groups. You could designate a particular topic to each group. For example, one group could focus on marine mammals and how they breathe. Another group could work on fish and how they breathe. After, the two groups could compare their findings.
The example storyboard is specifically about the differences between whales and fish, but you could create a broader category and add all types of marine mammals.
Whales |
Fish |
|---|---|
| Whales are warm-blooded. They stay warm by layers of insulated blubber. | Fish are cold-blooded. Their bodies can naturally adjust to the changes of the temperature. |
| Whales breathe air like land mammals. They have a blowhole connected to their lungs to allow them to breathe in the air. | Fish have gills to breathe. The gills take oxygen from the water so fish can live underwater their whole lives. |
| Whales give birth to live young. They also produce milk to feed their newborns. Whales nurture their young to make sure they grow up healthy and able to survive on their own. | Fish lay eggs. Baby fish are fed nutrients through a sack that they carry around. Typically baby fish are left to fend for themselves. |
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that compares marine mammals with fish.