Blue Comes to the Museum
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 1 -
Whoa! Next time you visit the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), prepare to be gobsmacked. The new whale exhibit features a huge blue whale skeleton. It’s incredible! And there’s a story behind this display. It’s a very smelly story.
Distress Call From Newfoundland
It started in 2014 with some bad news. Nine whales had been spotted off western Newfoundland – dead. They had likely been trapped by thick, fast-moving ice.
There are only about 5000 blue whales left in the world. Hundreds of thousands of them were killed years ago when commercial whaling was allowed.
The nine dead whales were from a Western North Atlantic population. This group of 200 to 450 whales is critically endangered. So the death of nine was a big loss.
A sad story – but with a silver lining. The ROM was looking for a blue whale skeleton. It already had skeletons of other whales. It was missing the largest whale of them all – the one people really wanted to see!
A team from the ROM headed for Newfoundland.
Taking It Apart
The team worked on one of the whales that had washed ashore. She was over 23 metres long – the length of an 18-wheeler transport truck. She weighed 100 tonnes.
The team started peeling away skin, blubber and flesh. The smell was horrible.
“Nothing much smells worse than a very dead whale,” said the team leader.
They took the skeleton apart, bone by bone. Heavy equipment was used to load everything onto trucks. Off to Ontario!
Assembly Required
It took nearly three years to prepare the skeleton for the exhibit.
The bones were covered in cow manure and sawdust and left for a year. Bacteria in the manure got rid of any remaining flesh. Then the bones were cleaned to remove grease.
The huge heart was almost the size of a smart car. It was sent to be ‘plastinated.’ Water in the cells is being replaced with hard plastic. The heart will be part of the display this summer.
Samples from the whale will also be used for research. Scientists hope to learn more about these amazing animals.
About Blue Whales
Blue whales are the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth. They are twice the weight of the biggest-known sauropod dinosaur.
They feed on krill – tiny, shrimp-like animals. They capture them by filtering ocean water through their baleen. This part of the whale's mouth acts like a strainer, catching the prey.
Blue whales can dive down 150 metres. Their bodies are streamlined for speed and long distance travel.
“There is nothing in this world as elegant as a live blue whale cruising at sea,” says one ROM employee.
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 1 -
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 1 -
The purpose of a commercial activity is to make money.
Would you be interested in seeing the blue whale display at the ROM? Why or why not?
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 1 -
Comprehension Check
Mark the statements T (True) or F (False). If a statement is false, write the word or words that make it true on the line below.
1. The new whale exhibit at the ROM features a blue whale.
2. There are about 200 blue whales left in the world.
3. It took 18 months to prepare the skeleton for exhibition.
4. Blue whales are the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth.
5. Blue whales feed on baleen, which are small ocean plants
6. The ROM blue whale was as long as an 18-wheeler truck.
Language Focus
Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of words that are located next to – or near to – each other in a sentence.
Example: That is a huge, hairy horse!
Now write three sentences of your own using the nouns below and alliteration:
1. whale:
2. museum:
3. exhibit:
Small Pest, Big Problem
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 1 -
A perfect day for a walk along a woodland trail. Tall grasses brush against your legs. But beware – tiny hitchhikers could be lurking in them. They're waiting for you to pass by. They want to attach themselves to your body and feed on your blood!
No, we’re not talking about vampires. We’re talking about black-legged ticks. They are tiny creatures – as small as a grain of sand.
Like mosquitoes, they bite into your skin to draw blood. But tick bites don’t hurt. You probably won’t feel a thing.
The problem? Some ticks can carry bacteria. The bacteria cause Lyme disease. If an infected tick bites you, you could get sick.
Ticks On The Uptick
The risk is very low, but it is rising. Ticks are making their way into Canada from the United States. Each year they spread further north.
In 2008, Canada saw 128 cases of Lyme disease. By 2015, that number was more than 700.
The increase is “alarming,” says the country’s chief public health officer.
Ontario is a hotspot for ticks. The pests are also found in southern parts of British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Be Aware
If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotic drugs. Left untreated, the disease can cause serious health problems.
The easiest way to avoid the disease? When in tick country, protect yourself. Don’t make it easy for ticks to attach to your bare skin.
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -
Wear protective clothing. For instance, wear shoes instead of sandals. Wear long pants and tuck the cuffs into your socks.
Also, have friends or family look you over now and then. If they see a tick crawling on you, brush it off.
Removing A Tick
What if you find a tick attached to your skin? An adult should remove it as soon as possible.
Use clean tweezers. Grasp the head as close to the skin as possible, and pull slowly straight out. Wash the spot with soap and water.
Symptoms
Lyme disease symptoms vary from person to person. That makes the disease difficult to diagnose.
You may feel tired or have a fever or chills. You could experience headaches and muscle pain or weakness. You may have a rash.
Trouble is, those symptoms apply to other illnesses too, such as the flu. So be sure to tell your doctor if you’ve been in an area where there are ticks.
Take-Away Advice
Dr. Vett Lloyd studies ticks in New Brunswick. She’s also had Lyme disease.
“Personally, if every tick vanished on the planet, I wouldn’t be sorry,” she says.
Unfortunately, ticks are here to stay. So health experts suggest using common sense.
“Check for ticks and just get on with your life,” says Dr. Lloyd.
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -
As you see it, what is the importance of this story?
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -
Comprehension Check
Write the letter of the best answer in the space beside each question.
1. A tick is as big as...
a) a vampire b) a grain of sand
c) a pebble d) a drop of blood
2. What is the problem with some ticks?
a) they eat the grasses
b) their bites really hurt
c) they smell
d) they carry disease-causing bacteria
3. How can you avoid tick bites when you're in tick country?
a) wear shoes instead of sandals
b) wear long pants and tuck the cuffs in your socks
c) have someone check your body for ticks
d) all of the above
4. How should you remove a tick?
a) by burning it b) with tweezers
c) by squishing it d) with your fingers
5. Why is it difficult to diagnose Lyme disease?
a) symptoms vary b) it doesn't hurt
c) doctors don't like ticks d) the fever is too high
Language Focus
Directions: Read the passage below. Then, label the drawing with the words in bold.
Arachnids include spiders, harvestmen, mites and ticks, and scorpions. All arachnids have eight legs. Unlike insects, they don't have antennae. The bodies of arachnids are divided into two sections: the cephalothorax in front, and the abdomen behind. Arachnids lay eggs, and have simple development: babies look like small adults and just get bigger as they grow.
Can you draw another example of an arachnid and label its body parts?
EarthPLAY for Earth Day
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -
Earth Day is coming up. So get outside and play! Play a game. Build a fort. Climb a tree. Listen to birds. Get your hands dirty. Connect with nature. That’s what Earth Day 2017 organizers hope you’ll do.
“It’s time to free our children,” says the president of Earth Day Canada. “Let’s take off the bubble wrap and let them play.”
A Global Event
Earth Day is held once a year on April 22. It’s a day to focus on the environment. It shines the spotlight on the importance of a healthy, sustainable planet.
Earth Day began in the United States in 1970. It is now celebrated by more than a billion people around the world.
The day inspires action and change. There are marches and events. Activities that focus on global warming and clean energy. On recycling. On reforestation.
Let’s Hear It For Science
A highlight of Earth Day this year will be the ‘March for Science.’ It will take place in cities around the world.
Scientific research can help us understand the environmental challenges we face. So marchers will be asking world leaders to listen to our scientists. Decisions about our future should be based on good scientific evidence, they say.
EarthPLAY
In Canada, the focus of Earth Day 2017 will be on outdoor play.
Kids used to have lots of free-play time outdoors. Time to explore, to build things, and to connect with nature.
Today, most children spend less than an hour per day outside. Their lives are very structured.
Earth Day organizers say that today’s kids are the environmental leaders of tomorrow. How can we make sure they grow into adults who care about protecting nature? It starts with giving them the freedom to play outdoors.
Many schools will hold EarthPLAY events during the week. Earth Day has also posted a “150 Playlist” on its website. It lists 150 activities – from building snow forts to hopscotch. Those who participate can get rewards and prizes. Earth Day is also raising money to build adventure playgrounds in parks.
Few Canadians are better known for their environmental work than Dr. David Suzuki. He hosts the science TV program “The Nature of Things.” He is also a fan of EarthPLAY.
“Play outside,” he says. “No earbuds or headphones. Use your senses to see, hear, smell, touch, taste the wonderful world around you.”
That natural world, he adds, “gives you your health and your happiness.”
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -
Something that is sustainable can be maintained or continued.
What do you like to do outdoors? Explain.
Comprehension Check
Answer the questions below in complete sentences:
1. When does Earth Day take place?
2. Who celebrates Earth Day?
3. What is the purpose of Earth Day?
4. What is the focus of Earth Day in Canada this year?
Do you agree or disagree with Dr. Suzuki that the natural world "gives you your health and your happiness"? Explain.
Language Focus
Connect the words with their definition.
Now use three of these words in your own sentences.
1.
2.
3.
The International Day of Pink
Comprehension Check
Answer the questions below in complete sentences:
1. What is the aim of the Day of Pink (and Pink Day)?
2. What is bullying? Explain.
3. Why was a student at a Nova Scotia school bullied in 2007?
4. What reasons can you suggest to explain why all bullying at this school stopped when everyone came to school wearing pink shirts?
Have you ever been bullied? How did it feel?
Why do you suppose some people bully others?
As you see it, what can be done to stop bullying?
2016/2017 • Issue 7 The Canadian Reader - 14 -