Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i Cobblestone American History and Current Events for Kids and Children

Most people today are familiar with the slogan “Save the Whales,” but 200 years ago, hunting whales was a major economic driver in America. Back then sailors hoped to hear “Thar blows!” It meant that a whale had been sighted. Whales provided the raw material for a number of things, but the most important product was oil. Before petroleum, natural gas, and electricity became sources of energy, whale oil, melted down from whales’ thick layer of blubber, provided the fuel to shine light. By the mid-20th century, however, the commercial whaling industry had killed so many whales that many populations were endangered. Today, the international community is trying to stop the hunting of marine mammals—whales in particular—and give them a chance to recover.…

Atypical whaling voyage lasted several years, and several months might pass out on the ocean between whale sightings. Sailors had a lot of time on their hands. They looked for ways to relieve their boredom and forget their feelings of homesickness. Many whalemen took up scrimshaw, and those who became particularly skilled were called “scrimshanders.” Scrimshaw is a form of art in which engravings are carved into sperm whale teeth (or occasionally whalebone). Sperm whale teeth are a kind of ivory, like elephant or walrus tusks, and make good carving surfaces. Unlike other parts of a whale, the big cone-shaped teeth—up to two pounds each in some of the largest individuals—had no value but were small enough to stow away in the ship’s tight quarters. After the valuable parts of…

“WDC” stands for “Whale and Dolphin Conservation.” The group sponsors research on conservation. It also pushes for policy changes to protect whales and dolphins. To learn more, COBBLESTONE spoke with Regina Asmutis-Silvia (RIGHT), executive director of WDC’s North American office in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Why is whale conservation work important? Whales help to sustain our ocean. They help to sustain our oxygen. How do whales do that? Because of the pressure on their bodies, whales can’t “go to the bathroom” on the [ocean] bottom. They can only do it at the surface. When they come up, whales literally fertilize this entire floating layer of phytoplankton. Like plants on land, phytoplankton photosynthesize. This is the base of the food chain. And because of photosynthesis, the phytoplankton in the ocean produce at least…

We’re looking for a funny caption for this photo. Send your idea, name, and address to: Just for Fun, COBBLESTONE, Cricket Media, 70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601, or email it to cobblestone@cricketmedia.com . Include a note from a parent or legal guardian clearly stating: “This is my child’s original work, and COBBLESTONE has permission to publish it with my child’s name, age, and hometown, in print and online.” If your caption is chosen, we’ll mail you a copy of the issue in which it appears.…

If you want to learn more about the whaling industry in New England, a great place to start is with a visit to New Bedford, Massachusetts. The city was considered the 19th-century whaling capital of the world, and visitors can still see many of that era’s buildings and homes. New Bedford is home to two relevant sites. The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/nebe/index.htm) includes the city’s still-active fishing port and outdoor displays about its whaling past. And the New Bedford Whaling Museum (www.whalingmuseum.org) offers exhibits that include ways to experience what life was like on a whaling ship. The squirrels enjoyed scampering up the half-size model of a whaling ship’s rigging. The Colonel marveled at the size of the museum’s four whale skeletons. I liked the exhibit about…

Killer whales, also known as orcas, are actually classified as the largest members of the dolphin family. The orca’s most distinguishing features are its sleek black-and-white coloring and a large dorsal fin. Like dolphins, orcas use echolocation to hunt prey, to navigate, and, in some cases, to communicate. They also are highly social mammals: They live together in pods, which usually consist of between 5 and 40 members, and they work together to care for their young and to find food. Their diet consists of fish, octopus, squid, penguins, and many types of marine mammals, which orcas grab with long, sharp teeth. Orcas can be found in every ocean, but they prefer the colder waters near the Polar Regions. Generally, they grow up to 32 feet, can weigh 6 tons,…

For hundreds of years, whales were one of the riches of the ocean. Commercial whaling was viewed as an important and admirable occupation because the main industry it supported—supplying oil for light—was invaluable in a time before electricity or natural gas were introduced. The first humans to learn the value of a whale probably made the discovery by accident. They most likely came across a beached whale or a whale carcass that had washed ashore. In an age when survival was part of daily life, finding a source of food and something that yielded material to make tools must have been an amazing event. People learned how to use every part of the whale. They ate the whale’s blubber and meat. They wove its baleen into baskets or fashioned it…

A 19th-century whaler sailed the ocean alone, set apart from the rest of the world. A crew never knew where the hunt would take them. Big bowhead whales, the ones that would bring in large profits, often inhabited the icy waters of the Arctic. The crew tried to stay busy keeping the ship clean, maintaining their tools, and practicing how to lower and man the 30-foot-long whaleboats. But as the ship sailed the oceans, the men also endured long periods of waiting and hoping to catch sight of a whale. If they did see another ship, the two crews might participate in a gam, or a social get-together. After months at sea, visiting with other ships was a way to share news about home and information about whale sightings. Once…

Are you ready to carve your own scrimshaw masterpiece? Here’s a safe and easy way to try to replicate this unique historical craft. You Need a bar of white soap a spoon a pencil with a dull point black watercolor paint a cup of water a couple of paintbrushes or cotton swabs paper towels newspaper 1. Prepare your soap by removing any writing or company logo imprinted on it. You can do that by wetting the soap at the sink or by scraping it gently with the spoon. 2. Cover your workspace with newspaper. Then draw a nautical picture (a ship, a fish, or a sea creature) on the soap by pressing lightly with the pencil to leave shallow marks. Keep in mind that the depth of each line will…

The world community is almost unanimous in its concern for whale populations, but there still are a few countries or cultures that continue to hunt the creatures. Japan Coastal communities in Japan have been whaling for centuries. After World War II (1939–1945), Japan reinvested in the whaling industry to help feed its starving population. With U.S. aid, it converted two ships into whaling vessels and began hunting whales near Antarctica. For the next 20 years, whales were Japan’s main source of meat—it was even served in school lunches. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) placed a ban on commercial whaling. Japan avoids the ban by claiming its whaling industry is done for scientific research. Despite worldwide pressure, falling prices for whale meat, and even a lack of interest in…

Can making a single T-shirt with a simple slogan lead to a lifetime crusade? This month’s mystery hero proved it can. As a child, our hero exhibited a love of all animals and had many pets. In first grade, she led an effort to save earthworms that crawled onto the paved playground after storms—she and her classmates saved them from being stepped on. When she was 14 years old, she read an article that really motivated her to action. It discussed an organization called Project Jonah (named for the famous biblical story) and the group’s efforts to protect whales. Our mystery hero designed a T-shirt showing a blue whale with the words “Save the Whales” on it. She withdrew $50 from her savings account and used the money to make…