Our K through 2nd grade program uses the story of “Humphrey the Whale” to provide a vehicle for learning the geography of the Bay and Delta, the names of different whales along with their characteristics and a description of what a mammal is. Students first observe a video of “Humphrey’s 1985 visit to San Francisco Bay”, discuss the characteristics of whales and other marine mammals, then students will go on a guided excursion through themodel retracing Humphrey’s voyage. This voyage takes them from the Golden Gate Bridge, through San Pablo and Suisun Bay into the Delta to Rio Vista (near Sacramento.), Humphrey’s final stop before returning to the Pacific Ocean.

Goals

• Students learn about the characteristics of mammals, different species of whales, and become familiar with the land areas and water bodies surrounding the San Francisco Bay and Delta.

Objectives

• Students will learn the 4 characteristic of mammals.
• Students will be able to locate the Golden Gate on a map of the Bay Area.
• Students will learn three species of whales.
• Students will understand the concept of migration.

To prepare students discuss:

• The concept of migration and why animals migrate to different places.
• The different species of whales and their relative sizes.
• The characteristics of mammals.
• What is the difference between baleen and toothed whales?
• What do whales eat?
• The geography of the San Francisco Bay and Delta areas.