Dear Mr. Blueberry
by Simon James, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1991
Activities ©1998 Nancy Polette
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Emily has found a whale in her summer wading pool. She writes to her teacher (who replies) for information about whales.
INTRODUCING VOCABULARY:
How many of these words can you use in one sentence to describe the cover of the book? Add other words as needed. Emily, whale, salt water, pleased,information,sincerely, spurt, forcibly, shrimp-like, creatures, goldfish, migratory, distances, disappoint, impossible.
BEFORE READING:
Answer these questions about whales. Guess if you do not know. Find out by reading the story.

1. A whale is a big fish._______
2. Whales live in salt water.__________
3. Whales are migratory._______
4. Whales travel long distances each day.____
AFTER READING:
Discuss: Did Emily really have a whale in her wading pool? Why or why not?
CREATE A WHALE DATA BANK
Lives Eats Has
ocean fish flippers
salt water plankton blubber
__________ __________ __________
__________ __________ __________
What it Does Looks Like
breathes air fish
does tricks large sea lion
__________ __________

Use the information from the data bank in one of these patterns:
A. Hey, kids, I have a whale for sale. It's the handiest thing you will ever want to own because it can ________________ and __________and _________________. But the greatest thing about it is _______________________________
B.IF I WERE PATTERN
Name the thing you want to be
Tell where it is found
Name one thing it can do for someone
Name a second thing it can do
Repeat the first line.
Example:
If I were a lobster
Snug in my hole on the ocean floor
I would crawl out and tell you good morning
And wave my claws at you If I were a lobster.
WRITE A WHALE STORY
Some __________ have their own ___________where they _______________________________. Sometimes they go around__________________or sometimes they just _____________________. But to this very day, some _________________have their own __________________.
ANOTHER WRITING PATTERN (Use for whales or any other animal)
One ____________________ you are walking along the ___________. The _________ air surrounds you and changes you until you feel yourself growing ___________ and __________.You move into the ___________ for you are a __________ , the color of _____________ with_____________ all over. You are hungry so you seek _______________ and are almost ready to catch your prey when a __________ appears.Quickly you _______________ away and you hide ________________________. You wait until the ____________leaves. Suddenly a big _______picks you up and takes you to_______________.You feel yourself changing and once again become the person that you are. You walk along the __________(doing what?) ________________________________.