Classroom Resources - New Bedford Whaling Museum

Classroom Resources

Explore science, history, literature, and art with hands-on activities and engaging primary sources. Follow links below to access lesson plans, slideshows, and activity guides.

 

Dolphins and a whale swimming behind the Whales Giants of the ocean title

Whales Giants of the Oceans

Grades: 4-6

Whales – Giants of the Ocean blends many details of the lives of these fascinating animals into a multi-lesson program that connects students to a variety of life science topics.

BLubber lesson

Blubber: Keeping Warm with Arctic Animals

Grades: K-2

Learn about blubber, an important adaptation for Arctic animals, by exploring historic images and educational videos. Investigate properties of blubber with a hands-on experiment.

Map SKills lesoon

Map Skills: A Cartographer’s POV

Grades: 3-5

Investigate different types of maps by watching educational videos and examining historic documents. Analyze a Maury Whale Chart from 1851 and then create a treasure map to practice mapping skills.

Pano lesson

An Artistic Adventure: The Grand Panorama

Grades: 3-5

Look closely at The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage 'Round the World to understand how art can tell a story. Make a zoetrope to recreate a type of entertainment from the 1800s.

Freddrick Lesson

Telling His Own Story: Frederick Douglass

Grades: 3-5

Examine historic photographs to learn about Frederick Douglass and his fight for the abolition of slavery. Make a song or poem inspired by his accomplishments and his life story.

Logbook lesson

Journaling: Logging a New Perspective

Grades: 6-8

Explore a journal written by 14-year-old Adeline Heppingstone during a whaling voyage to the Arctic in 1882. Challenge students to keep a journal to reflect on daily events and practice writing skills.

Melville lesson

Making Meaning from Text: Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick

Grades: 9-12

Analyze a series of artistic prints to make meaning from key passages in Herman Melville’s famed novel Moby-Dick. Use the author’s words to inspire new works of art that bring the text to life.

ocean1080x1080 with logo

Adaptations: Creature Features

Grades: 9-12

Learn about behavioral, structural, and physiological adaptations in animals. Take inspiration from Creature Feature videos to storyboard content highlighting amazing animal adaptations.

Four scrimshaw whale teeth engraved with portraits of women and decorative scenes.

Scrimshaw Art

Grades: K-8

Scrimshaw was an art form used to help whalers pass the time on long voyages. Try creating your own scrimshaw designs!