FOR STUDENTS Pattern for Life-Size Whale

List of Materials 1. Black plastic, 4 mil, 24 feet (7.2 m) by 100 feet (30 m) 2. Clear/White plastic, 4 mil, 16 feet by 100 feet (4.8 m by 30 m) 3. Clear 2 inch (5 cm) wide plastic tape—20 rolls

8. Start taping the top section to the bottom section, using the Tools Needed tail flukes as side walls where they connect to the body; 1. Tape measures, 100 feet (30 m) and 26 feet (8 m) start at the tail section on each side and work toward the mouth area. 2. Scissors to cut the plastic and tape 9. Do not tape the end of the tail section together. 3. High-speed fan 10. Mouth area—the clear/white plastic will have to be pleated to meet the side area taping; start in the center of the mouth Steps and work out the sides—about 2 inches (5 m) for each pleat. 1. Lay plastic on 10-foot (1 m) grid. 11. Once the whale is fully taped, place the fan in the tail 2. Cut out all parts; cut out some of the flippers or tail flukes opening and inflate the whale. One person will go into the from the cutout sections of the whale body. whale to the nose section and pull the nose section out through the tail opening, inverting the seams and letting the 3. Tape together the flippers and tail flukes (remember the flippers and tail flukes to the outside. right and left sides for both), and tape together the top 12. dorsal fin. Do not tape the body (straight side) connection. Mount the top dorsal fin on the black top section in the center of the tail section about 58 feet (17.4 m) from the 4. After taping the “fins,” turn inside out, placing the tape seam front of the whale. inside. 13. Place the-9 inch (22 cm) 5. Tape together the cutout sections of the whale’s top section eye drawings on the top as indicated on the plan. section, just in front of the 6. Tape together the cutout sections of the whale’s bottom flippers. 9” (22 cm) section as indicated on the plan. 9” (22 cm) 7. Place the tail flukes and flippers on the bottom section of 14. Inflate the model with the high-speed fan; step back and the whale at their locations. give it room.

Tail Flukes Top Dorsal Fin 3’ (1 m) 2 black and 2 clear/white pieces 2 black pieces (Will create right and left tail sections) 5’ (1.5 m) Flippers (This side attaches to body of whale) 2 black and clear/white pieces (Will create right and left flipper sections) 6’ (1.8 m)

6’ (1.8 m)

12’ (3.6 m)

16’ (3.8 m)

Activity courtesy of Needham Science Center, Needham, Mass. 16 Whale of a Tail © Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2017 Pattern for Life-Size Whale FOR STUDENTS

24’ (7.2 m) 16’ (4.8m) 4’ 4’ 4’ 8’ 4’ 16’ (1.2 m) (4.8 m) (1.2 m) (1.2 m) (2.4 m) (1.2 m) 70’ (21 m) 70’ (21 m) 6’ (1.8 m) 4’ 4’ 4’ 4’ 60’ (18 m) 60’ (18 m) (1.2 m) (1.2 m) (1.2 m) (1.2 m) 5’ 5’ 5’ 5’ 50’ (15 m) 50’ (15 m) (1.5 m) (1.5 m) (1.5 m) (1.5 m)

7’ 7’ 7’ 7’ 40’ (12 m) 40’ (12 m) (2.1 m) (2.1 m) (2.1 m) (2.1 m) Top Section Top 33’ (9.9 m) 12’ Bottom Section (3.6 m) 30’ (9 m) 12’ 28’ (8.4 m) (3.6 m) 24’ x 100’ (7.2 m 30 m) 4 mil black plastic 20’ (6 m) 16’ x 100’ (4.8 m 30 m) 4 mil clear/white plastic 20’ (6 m) 6’ (1.8 m) 15’ (4.5 m) 10’ (3 m)

10’ (3 m)

(1.5 m) (1.5 m) (0.6 m) (3 m) (0.6 m) (1.5 m) (1.2 m) (2.4 m) (1.2

5’ 2’ 10’ 2’ 5’ 4’ 8’ 4’

Whale of a Tail 17 Aquatic WILD K–12 Curriculum and Activity Guide