As members of a group, you will view webpages and other material that explore these issues. The sites you will view are real webpages which might have some challenging words, so be prepared to use a dictionary and discuss what each page means in your group. Remember to keep your role in mind as you answer the questions to develop your point-of-view.
Online dictionaries you might want to try:
Word Central's Student Dictionary
Dictionary.com (this site has an online thesaurus as well)
1. To become knowledgeable about this issue, we must first understand a little about the bowhead whale. Form cooperative groups and then view the following pages to find out some basic information about this fascinating creature:
Animal Diversity Web - Bowhead Whale
Natural History Notebooks - Bowhead Whale
Each group should make a poster. Draw a picture of a Bowhead Whale after viewing these sites in the middle of the paper. Make a web surrounding the picture you've drawn and include at least 10 facts you discovered about the Bowhead Whale.
For this part of your WebQuest, your group should and choose a role. You can choose to be an Inuit hunter, an environmental protection agent or animal activist. Once you've chosen your role, follow the directions beneath that heading. You will notice that some of the questions are "biased". This is because you are to explore the issue from the perspective of someone in that role.
The Inuit have hunted whales for hundreds of years. It isn't just a source of food, it's also part of their culture. Use the Internet links below to explore these questions related to Inuit Hunting:
1. Why do you think culture and tradition are so important to the Inuit?
2. Describe a traditional Inuit whale hunt.
2. How is a whale hunt (and hunting in general) part of the Inuit culture?
3. How do Inuit legends relate to the hunting of the Bowhead Whales?
4. Why are the Inuit allowed to hunt the endangered Bowhead Whales?
5. How do the whale hunts of today differ from those of many years ago?
6. Why do the Inuit feel it is important for them to be able to hunt the whales?
Revivial of Whale Hunt Sparks Bitter Debate
Traditional Inuit Whale Hunting
Canada Native Prepare Controversial Whale Hunt
Canadian Inuits Ask to Hunt Endangered Whale
What other information do you think is important to the Inuit point-of-view on this topic? Why do you think so?
Click here if you would like to use a template to help you in organizing your multimedia presentation.
As an animal activist, your concern is the humane treatment of animals. Explore these Internet links and answer these questions:
1. Do you think it is time for the Inuit to abandon the practice of whale hunting?
2. Why were recent unsuccessful Bowhead Whale hunts considered inhumane and unproductive?
3. Does the method the Inuit use to hunt cause instant death?
4. Why is it difficult to humanely kill a whale, in some people's opinion?
5. Do you eat meat (beef, chicken, etc)? Do you think killing animals for food is a good thing to do? Why or why not?
Permission to Hunt Endangered Whale
Whales - Their Emerging Right to Life
Revivial of Whale Hunt Sparks Bitter Debate
What other information do you think is important to the Animal Protection Activist point-of-view on this topic? Why do you think so?
Click here if you would like to use a template to help you in organizing your multimedia presentation.
Environmental protection is concerned with the preservation of the whales and the ocean environment in general. Your job is to investigate the Internet links below and form an opinion as to what kinds of activities should and shouldn't be allowed, including hunting and whale watching.
1. Why is the Bowhead Whale considered an endangered species?
2. What are some of the reasons for the declining Bowhead Whale population?
3. Do you think that Inuit whale hunting is the sole source of the declining Bowhead population?
4. What can people do to protect the Arctic Ocean environment and through this, the Bowhead Whales?
5. How might whale watching be harmful to the whale population?
6. How might whale watching be helpful to the whale?
The Arctic at Risk (scroll down to the "Arctic Ocean" section)
Bowhead Whale - Historical and Current Status
What other information do you think is important to the Environmental Protection Agent point-of-view on this topic? Why do you think so?
Click here if you would like to use a template to help you in organizing your multimedia presentation.
Next: Real World