Dolphins



Author:  Seymour Simon

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade Level: Second grade through fourth grade

Theme: Provides a non-fiction informational story about dolphins.

Quick Summary: This is an informational short story about the life of dolphins and is very interesting. This short story is a good pre-requisite for a project, or used as a source for a book project. Dolphins use different sounds to communicate with each other; these sounds include: whistles, clicks, barks, squawks, and rasps. Dolphins can produce a series of 2,000 high-pitched clicks per second that go through the water, hit an object, and then bounce back to the sender. In general, this short story gives true and factual information about dolphins. Despite their beauty and playfulness, dolphins face serious dangers from commercial fishing and human activity. It's vital that people support governmental laws to protect these wonderful creatures.

Dolphins are considered very beautiful and upbeat mammals that are very interesting and playful. They have many interesting facts about them. Dolphins swim up to speeds of over thirty miles per hour, and often ride in the bow waves of boats. Dolphins are very playful with humans and are easily trainable. Dolphins put on shows for general audiences because of their playful and energetic personalities. Despite all this, dolphins are a threat to pollution and careless commercial net fishing.
(Simon, Seymour. (2009). Dolphins. New York: Harper Collins Publishing).

Pre-Reading Strategies:

Have you ever seen dolphins before in real life?

What did you like about them if you have seen them?

Why do you think dolphins are one of the most favorite animals among humans?

What advantages do you think dolphins have over other mammals?

Discuss with the students what dolphins eat and where they are found. Show them a quick PowerPoint presentation about the different types of dolphins, what they eat, where they are found, etc. Then discuss the harms and threats that are posed on dolphins and why they happen. Ask the students what can be done to stop the threats of killing these innocent creatures.

Post-Reading Strategies: After reading the story, I would have the students come up to the chalkboard and write one interesting fact that they learned from this short non-fiction story. If they walked up to the chalkboard and got stuck, they could use a lifeline and ask another student who volunteers him or herself for help. Once a broad list is made, I would go over the facts that the students wrote and we would discuss them. Next, I would show a short video on dolphins. This video would show their fascination and enthusiasm as creates in the real world. This video would be for entertainment purposes, and would demonstrate the excitement dolphins can bring to humans.

Assessment: Check the facts that the students write. If their answer makes sense, then they understood and learned one important piece of information from the story.

Reflection: This was a very informational story about facts about dolphins. Students who enjoy the fascination with dolphins will enjoy this story, as well as students who do not know much about dolphins; they will learn to appreciate these fun-loving creatures when they open this book!

Simon, Seymour. (2009). Dolphins. New York: Harper Collins Publishing. Grades 2-4.