Does perfume really contain whale excrement? Only the most expensive varieties! An intriguing video lesson explains the origin of the ambergris ingredient through a tour through the sperm whale's digestive system. Scientists only recently discovered the origin of this prized ingredient.

Concepts

animal behavior, the excretory system, whales, the digestive system

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask individuals to bring in perfume bottles to investigate ingredients
• Explore similar digestive products such as owl pellets

Classroom Considerations

• Be cognizant that comments may not be appropriate for pupil viewing

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Provides closed captioning in several languages and the option for auto translate in many more
• Adds humor to increase engagement

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 RST.9-10.7