Students Warm to a Cool Subject

Nine-year-old Grace Le now has a little bit better understanding of why arctic walruses are never svelte.

During a presentation Wednesday at Harbor View Elementary School about arctic animals, the fourth-grader dressed up in a walrus costume, complete with fur, flippers, tusks, mustache of whiskers and a layer of fake blubber. “It made me feel fat,” she said. “But I learned that blubber keeps them warm.”

The program, presented by Sea World of California’s Arctic Animals Outreach Program, took students on an imaginary expedition to the arctic ecosystem. They learned about walruses, polar bears, beluga and bowhead whales and Greenland sharks.

“The most important thing they get out of the [arctic] program is not only a knowledge of the animals, but an appreciation for the environment,” said Lynette Mittemeyer, Sea World instructor. “And that appreciation will help in conservation.”

First-grader Johnnie Westermeyer, 6, also was chosen to dress like a walrus, which can weigh about 3,700 pounds.

“I learned that they can open clams with their tusks,” she said.

Some students dressed up as explorers, from long johns to heavy jackets, goggles and boots. They also viewed a real polar bear skeleton and learned that the bears average 7 feet in length and about 1,200 pounds, with some reaching 12 feet and 2,200 pounds. Their paws are up to a foot wide.

During the last couple of weeks, students have been studying about the arctic in preparation for the program. First-grade teacher Cindy Osterhout said the presentation “is one more way to bring [the arctic] alive for students.”

Mittemeyer said the arctic program is new this year. Sea World’s other education program topics have focused just on whales, sharks or sea lions.