The document is a short story about whales communicating through song. It describes how a group of whales becomes stranded in a bay during a blizzard. They send out calls of distress that are heard by whales in a neighboring channel. The whales in the channel coordinate and perform a symphony of sounds to guide the stranded whales back to safety.

1. A Symphony of
Whales
By: Steve Schuch
Genre:Fiction
Skill:Generalize
Author’s Purpose:

2. Say It!
anxiously
 bay
blizzard
 channel
 chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

3. More Words to Know
neighboring
waterproof
yelping

4. anxiously
uneasily; with
fear of what
might happen

5. bay
a part of a sea or lake
surrounded by land

6. blizzards
blinding snowstorms with
very strong, cold winds

7. channel
a body of water joining two
larger bodies of water

8. chipped
to cut or break off a thin
piece of something

9. melody
a pleasing or easily
remembered series of
musical notes; tune

10. supplies
the food and equipment
necessary for an army exercise,
camping trip, and so on

11. surrounded
shut in on all sides;
encircled; enclosed

12. symphony
a long, complicated
musical composition for
an orchestra

13. The men chipped at the
wood using an ax.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

14. The men chipped at the
wood using an ax.

15. The violin player was
ready to perform the
symphony.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

16. The violin player was
ready to perform the
symphony.

17. Ted waited anxiously
for his test to be
graded.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

18. Ted waited anxiously
for his test to be
graded.

19. In Antarctica there
are blizzards every
day.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

20. In Antarctica there are
blizzards every day.

21. Jason could see the
boats in the bay from
his window.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

22. Jason could see the boats
in the bay from his
window.

23. John and Sue were
surrounded by
ants.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

24. John and Sue were
surrounded by ants.

25. Students go shopping
for school supplies at
the beginning of each
school year.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

26. Students go shopping
for school supplies at
the beginning of each
school year.

27. It would be a hard
task to swim the
length of a channel.
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

28. It would be a hard
task to swim the
length of a channel.

29. Can you
remember the
melody after I
sing the tune?
anxiously
bay
blizzard
channel
chipped
melody
supplies
surrounded
symphony

30. Can you remember
the melody after I
sing the tune?

31. GREAT
JOB!