Thar She WHATS?

“Wow!” That’s how most third graders responded when they first glimpsed the gigantic whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology.

 

This fall, third graders have been studying evolution (as well as a host of additional topics) through the lens of whales. Gradehead Betsy Leahy explains, “Paleontologists are fascinated by whales because they have uncovered the skeletons of so many transitional species that link one evolutionary stage to another.” Students began by comparing illustrations of modern gray whales to a land mammal from 55 million years ago named Pakicetus, which is considered to be the earliest ancestor of modern whales. They then brainstormed changes that may have happened over the millions of years. “The next step,” Betsy said, “was to have students imagine themselves as paleontologists discovering the skeleton of a new transitional species.” Students wrote about and drew pictures of their ‘discoveries.’ They noted changes in the size and shape of the torso and tail, the shrinking and disappearance of hind limbs, the skin becoming smooth, and the location of the nose.”

 

All Grade III sections visited the museum to view modern whale skeletons up close. They carefully observed and drew one of the six types of the cetaceans on display. Betsy said, “Seeing actual whale skeletons brings to life many of the ideas we’ve been discussing. For example, students noted the close resemblance between the skull shape of Pakicetus and modern whales. They also saw how the flipper bones resemble the bones in our hands, observed the whales’ remnant pelvic bones, and noticed how a whale’s rib cage is adapted to compress during deep dives. This unit is a mini-course in comparative anatomy and physiology!”

 

This unit is an example of how Thematic Study uses an overarching theme to give a unifying narrative and provide context for a wide array of academic topics. It also illustrates the way integrated learning can accelerate and deepen student understanding.