Whales
The first grade
"Wings" students studied about whales. Some whales such as killer whales
have teeth. Other whales have baleen. Strips of baleen, which are flat bony
plates, hang from the upper jaw of the baleen whale's mouth. The inner
edges of the baleen are fringed. The baleen whale takes in a big mouthful of water
with a lot of small fish and shrimplike creatures (krill) in it. The whale uses his
tongue to push the water out and then swallows the fish and krill. The largest
baleen whales can eat two to three tons of krill a day!
The baleen in the picture came from a whale
that lived near Alaska.
First Graders Holding Baleen from a Whale
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