A Personal Introduction:
It took me a little while to understand the fascination North Dakota students have with the whale project. The thought of students who live about as far from an ocean as it is possible to live building a whale out of black plastic in their school gym seemed unusual.
I had to think about my own experiences to understand. I have probably actually viewed whales in the wild for a total of 30 seconds. To accumulate this many glimpses, I have driven to both oceans on several occasions and spent a bit of money. To many folks, this also probably seems unusual.
You don't have to see whales every day or, as many North Dakota students understand, you don't have to see them at all, to be intrigued by their size and power. The mystery of these giant mammals fascinates students and the images I have tucked away in my brain still amaze me. In a way, it is enough just to know they are there. (Mark Grabe)
Whales make us appreciate other aspects of nature, too. This is one reasons teachers have found the whale project so valuable.
Pollution
I thought I'd write a poem about the way I feel,
about the pollution problem we all know is real.
It's killing our fish and all things we cherish.
Soon the animals we love will live in trash and perish.
One thing I know could make our earth fitter,
is to think before we act, not after we litter.
Kim Grabe (1995/ age 12)