Diving Whale Sculpture

The blue whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on earth! Create a life-like, miniature sculpture of this fascinating creature.

• 1.

  Whales are warm-blooded, air-breathing mammals that live in every ocean. Many of them make long migrations. Some species hum so loud that the sound can travel thousands of miles through the water to other whales. There are two types of whales--baleen and toothed whales. Baleen whales eat plankton such as krill and small fish. Toothed whales may eat fish, squid, crabs, shrimp, sharks, seals, sea lions, penguins, and even other whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

• 2.

  The part of the whale that people most often see is its fluke or tail as it surfaces for air and dives back into the ocean. Create a unique sculpture that shows a whale in its natural habitat. Work on a clean, dry surface such as a paper plate. Use your imagination and photos of whales to design your sculpture. This is how the sculpture in the picture was made.

• 3.

  Press a chunk of Crayola Air-Dry Clay into an ocean-like base. Smooth the edges with a dampened finger. Or roll your base with a rolling pin and cut the edges with a modeling tool such as a craft stick or plastic knife. If you like, roll more clay into a coil. Place it around the edge of the base to create a lip. If your clay is a little dry, moisten the pieces with a wet finger.

• 4.

  Use a modeling tool to cut out mountain ranges, islands, glaciers, or another background from more clay. Add texture by using your finger, a craft stick, or a clay stylus. Attach the pieces to the edge of the base. Form a whale’s tail and attach it. You can even add misty splashes coming from the whale’s blowhole!

• 5.

  Paint your mountains, ocean, and whale with Crayola Washable Watercolors and brushes. Gently wash the color on the wet clay. To create deeper colors, air-dry the first coat and repaint. Air-dry the finished sculpture for at least 3 days.

• 6.

  Paint your mountains, ocean, and whale with Crayola Portfolio® Series Watercolors and brushes. Gently wash the color on the wet clay. To create deeper colors, air-dry the first coat and repaint. Air-dry the finished sculpture for at least 3 days.

Benefits

• Students identify two types of whales: toothed whales and baleen whales, and understand that whales come to the surface for air.
• Students recognize that whales are mammals (they nurse their young and are warm-blooded). They research whale’s eating habits, parenting, migration, and means of communication.
• Students create an accurate, detailed sculpture to show a whale living in its natural habitat.

Adaptations

• Many whales’ species are being placed on, or are near to being placed on, the endangered species list. Find out what is causing their demise such as noise, development, and pollution. How does global warming affect whale habitats?
• Investigate the role that sound plays in keeping whales together in groups. Find out how they communicate with each other.
• Research Project Jonah to learn how the group rescues stranded whales.
• Find out about how indigenous cultures such as people living in the American Pacific Northwest, relied on whales to survive. How were whales hunted and used? The Macah Nation is the only tribe who has a treaty granting it the right to hunt whales.
• Some students with special needs may find it helpful to work with a picture nearby to observe details. They may also prefer to sculpt just the fluke, or the whale, rather than an entire scene.
• Assessment: Create a Venn diagram/poster that lists the various species of whales divided into two categories, toothed whales and baleen whales. Record their similarities and differences.