British Columbia’s Killer Whales and Bioaccumulation

Extension Activities/ Resources

Lesson 1

• Discover the different languages and dialects of the killer whale populations on the Wild Killer Whale Adoption webpage http://www.killerwhale.org/fieldnotes/chat.html , Dr. John Ford’s webpage http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~ford/  and the Voices of the Sea - includes a video interview with Dr. John Ford. 

• Have students discover the ranges of the different British Columbia killer whale populations on a map of the Northeastern Pacific.- see list of recommended additional resources on first page of resource package. 

• Realm of the Killer Whales (video 60 minutes) Ocean Wilds - PBS Home Video – excellent resource for natural history of British Columbia’s killer whales, herring and salmon.  Astounding footage of northern resident killer whales rubbing on the beaches of the Michael Bigg Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight.

Lesson 2

• Do activities  “Marine Matters” (WWF) lesson 4 
• http://schoolcentral.com/willoughby4/salmontest/SalmonFoodChain-June29-04.html - School central on-line activity that addresses ecosystem dynamics with orca as the top of the food web. 
• Outside activity – Canadian Parks and  Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Calgary’s Food Chain Game

Lesson 3

Interactive game, Secrets at Sea http://www.secretsatsea.org/main.html.  Teacher’s Guide at http://www.secretsatsea.org/tg/.  Addresses killer whales, food webs and bioaccumulation.  Learning outcomes provided.

Lesson 4

Do not present students with the graph but rather have them graph the data table

•  Have students calculate their ecological footprint and deduce ways to reduce it.

• Killer in Peril – Decline of the Orca – from ferocious predator to Species at Risk  (video, 46 minutes) Canadian Geographic

•  “Chemical trespass – Toxic chemicals in our everyday lives. Knowing how they affect us and how we can make changes”.  Learning resource guide and workshops.  Contains curriculum connections and content on toxins in BCs Killer Whales.  Labour Environmental Alliance Society (LEAS); 604-669-1921; info@leas.ca; www.leas.ca

• Interactive on-line activity to learn about toxic chemicals around the home.  www.epa.gov/kidshometour/