Humpback whale

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/humpback-whale

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Megaptera novaeangliae
2. What makes a humpback whale's flippers special?Their flippers can be up to one‑third of the whale’s body length, and they have tubercles that help the whale turn quickly and swim smoothly.
3. How do humpback whales find food in the ocean?They use baleen plates to filter tiny fish and krill, and their throat pleats expand to hold large amounts of water and food.

Baleen Plates: Keratinous structures in the mouths of baleen whales used to filter small organisms from the water.
Ventral Pleats: Grooves on the throat and belly of humpback whales that expand to allow for large intake of water and prey.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity, referring to environmental impacts caused by humans.