On Thursday morning, Roe's Pre-Kindergarten class traveled to Hawaii with a special visitor, the Whale Lady.

The group first went on a simulated whale watching trip in which they met jelly fish, turtles, seals, sharks, dolphins, and, of course, whales. 

This activity corresponds to the class's study of mammals. The past few weeks the students have focused on humans, their bodies, and what makes them mammals. This week they began to learn about other types of mammals, including whales. With the Whale Lady, Roe's class went inside of a humpback whale to learn more about its anatomy and why it is a mammal.

Finally, students enjoyed activities including examining whale teeth and food, riding a whale, tracing whale tail patterns onto paper with chalk, and studying whales with binoculars and cameras.

The Whale Lady (also known as Mrs. D.) has worked as a research assistant in Maui for the past 15 years. Since whale season in the winter, she spends the rest of the year traveling and educating schools in the Philadelphia area.