Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
How Whales Breathe, Communicate... and Fart with Their Faces Instructional VideoHow Whales Breathe, Communicate... and Fart with Their Faces Instructional Video
Publisher
TED-Ed
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
4th - 8th
Subjects
Science
2 more...
Resource Type
Instructional Videos
Media Length
6:25
Audiences
For Teacher Use
1 more...
Duration
30 mins
Instructional Strategies
Direct Instruction
1 more...
Technology
Projection
Internet Access
Accessibility
Closed Captions
1 more...
Year
2014
Usage Permissions
Fine Print
Instructional Video

How Whales Breathe, Communicate... and Fart with Their Faces

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This How Whales Breathe, Communicate... and Fart with Their Faces instructional video also includes:
  • Think
  • Dig Deeper
  • Join to access all included materials

Dr. Joy Reidenberg is an expert in comparative anatomy, but also quite relatable to preteens! Here, she lectures on echolocation by likening it to "farting with the face!" She explains with film, actual whale voice recordings, diagrams, and verbal explanation, how their sounds are made. You will definitely want to find a way to fit this gem of a lesson into your lessons on whales, marine biology, echolocation, or animal behavior. Your class will have a whale of a time!

70 Views 51 Downloads

Concepts

animal behavior, animals, echolocation, whales

Additional Tags

echolocation, whale, animal behavior, science

Pros

  • Adaptable to life science Next Generation Science Standards
  • Speaker has a knack for captivating her audience
  • Includes editable multiple-choice questions that can be used as an assessment
  • Links to other videos and articles featuring Dr. Reidenberg's research

Cons

  • None

See similar resources:

Worksheet

Kids Page - Whales

Royal BC Museum
Read about the physical features of whales and how they are grouped according to their method of eating food. A neat activity is described on the page; consider carrying this out in class. The resource makes a nice addition to a lesson...
4th - 6th Science
Lesson Plan

Games on Echolocation

Curated OER
Get a little batty with life science! This fun simulation game replicates how bats use echolocation to hunt moths in their native Hawaiian habitat. After creating blind folds and discussing some basic principles of echolocation, students...
1st - 6th Visual & Performing Arts
Lesson Plan

Animal Behavior

Curated OER
Can you train a worm? Biology buffs will have a blast trying! Using planaria or earthworms, they introduce a certain stimulus repeatedly until the desired response happens more quickly. They also explore the response of their own eyes to...
7th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

Amazing Facts About Whales!

Be Smart
The blue whale is the largest creature ever to have lived on Earth. Scholars explore the world of these cetaceans, see how whales evolved, explore their characteristics, listen to their communication, and learn about their diet. 
7 mins 6th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Keiko, Killer Whale

Curated OER
Middle schoolers will create a children's book on Keiko, the killer whale, that was rehabilitated and returned to the wild after living in an aquarium. In small groups, they conduct internet research to find out the history and current...
6th - 8th English Language Arts
Instructional Video

The Science of Macaroni Salad: What's in a Mixture?

TED-Ed
Mix things up in your physical science class by introducing mixtures. The three types are defined: suspension, colloid, and solution. It all depends on the size and type of the involved particles. With attractive animation and an...
4 mins 4th - 8th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Video

The Science of Symmetry

TED-Ed
No matter which way you slice it, the definition of symmetry might not be clear. The narrator of the video reflects on its true meaning as shapes, plants, and animals dance onstage for a captivated cartoon audience. Your class will be...
5 mins 6th - 11th Science
Instructional Video

Science of the Winter Olympic Games: Engineering Competition Suits

National Science Foundation
What a thrilling job for an engineer: designing advanced athletic competition suits! Which materials can most reduce friction and drag, and yet still be flexible enough to move with the athlete's body? With attention focused on Shani...
6 mins 6th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Video

Why Are Blue Whales So Enormous?

TED-Ed
Isn't it strange that Earth's largest animal lives on one of its tiniest? Using Sesame-Street-style puppetry, this video explains how this phenomenon happens. Viewers learn that a single mouthful of krill taken in by a whale has the...
5 mins 3rd - 8th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Video

Why Do Whales Sing?

TED-Ed
Although little is know about why whales sing, researchers are developing theories that explain how whales are able to vocalize. Viewers get a short course in whale song and even get to listen to recordings of the haunting melodies...
5 mins 6th - 12th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use