Our whale was created with very little adult guidance. Be flexible since some kids turn off when the video goes on, so provide some other activities. Though a bit contrived, it is entertaining and educational. My class of 5th graders is a bilingual group, most of whom don't yet have a command of English. I did the entire lesson in English and they understood it as witnessed by the results.
English learners can grasp many of the concepts if presented in a comprehensible manner.
Additionally, I team with the Special Day class next door. These kids have severe learning disorders of several types, yet, are just as capable of grasping the need to preserve our friends who live in the sea. Moreover, teaching tolerance is facilitated by creating an awareness of how near to us in evolution these sea mammals are. See Suva Intermediate's page on The Wild Ones web site for a photo of the whale the children constructed, and their whale art inspired by the lesson Robert describes here. Submit your own curriculum plans to The Wild Ones for publication.