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Part of a favorite song sung by whalers in old times.



When spring returns with western gales,

And gentle breezes sweep

The ruffling seas, we spread our sails

To plow the watery deep.



Cape Cod, our dearest native land,

We leave astern, and lose

Its sinking cliffs and less'ning sands,

While Zephyr gently blows.



Now toward the early dawning east

We speed our course away,

With eager minds and joyful hearts,

To meet the rising day.



Then, as we turn our wondering eyes,

We view one constant show,—

Above, around, the circling skies,

The rolling seas below.



When eastward, clear of Newfoundland,

We stem the frozen pole,

We see the icy islands stand,

The northern billows roll.



Now see the northern regions where

Eternal winter reigns;

One day and night fills up the year,

And endless cold maintains.



We view the monsters of the deep,

Great whales in numerous swarms,

And creatures there, that play and leap,

Of strange, unusual forms.



When in our station we are placed,

And whales around us play,

We launch our boats into the main,

And swiftly chase our prey.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Read the synopsis.
  • Review the vocabulary terms.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

This lesson contains a song sung by Cape Cod whalers, describing how they hunt 'the monsters of the deep.'

Vocabulary

Whale: A very large marine mammal with a streamlined hairless body, a horizontal tail fin, and a blowhole on top of the head for breathing.
Whaler: A whaling ship. A seaman engaged in whaling.
Whaling: The practice or industry of hunting and killing whales for their oil, meat, or whalebone.
Zephyr: A personification of the west wind.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite or Sing the Whaling Song

  • Sing or recite the song. Instructors may need to prompt children line-by-line.

Activity 2: Narrate the Whaling Song

  • After you recite the song aloud, narrate the song aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Map the Song

Find Cape Cod, the whalers' home port, on the map of the New England area of the United States.

Activity 4: Examine the Types of Whales

There are many different types of whales. Examine the names and images of a few.

  • Killer Whale
  • Humpback Whale
  • Sperm Whale
  • Narwhal (Note its long unicorn-like tusk.)
  • Beluga Whale

Activity 5: Complete Coloring Pages, Copywork, and Writing   

  • Click the crayon above. Complete pages 33-34 of 'Second Grade American History Coloring Pages, Copywork, and Writing.'

Activity 6: Listen to the Song of a Whale

Listen to the song of a whale.

Review

Question 1

Where do the sailors in the song call home?
1 / 4

Answer 1

The sailors in the song call Cape Code home.
1 / 4

Question 2

What is the 'monster of the deep' in the song?
2 / 4

Answer 2

The 'monster of the deep' from the song is a whale.
2 / 4

Question 3

What is the sailors' prey?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Whales are the sailors prey.
3 / 4

Question 4

What does 'Zephyr' do in the song?
4 / 4

Answer 4

Zephyr, a personification of wind, gently blows.
4 / 4

  1. Where do the sailors in the song call home? The sailors in the song call Cape Code home.
  2. What is the 'monster of the deep' in the song? The 'monster of the deep' from the song is a whale.
  3. What is the sailors' prey? Whales are the sailors prey.
  4. What does 'Zephyr' do in the song? Zephyr, a personification of wind, gently blows.

References

  1. 'Photo of Beluga Whale (CC BY-SA 3.0) taken by Greg Hume.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beluga03.jpg. n.p.

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