The Teachers Guide and Presentation to BUMP the Interactive Arts & Sciences Exhibit

1. “BUMP”
An Arts & Sciences
Exhibit

2. What is “BUMP”?
An interpretive art exhibit featuring the
disassembled bones of three whales - fin,
minke and pilot whale - suspended in a
dynamic and immersive display. Hung on
monofilament line and suspended from a cable
grid, the bones move and spin as the viewer
interacts with them while walking inside the
exhibit. Surrounding by net and the sounds of
whales and boat traffic the patron examines
into, and from within, the perspective of ‘the
whale’ in both a literal and figurative BUMP
between our worlds.

3. Museum Etiquette
Before your museum visit, prepare your children on the expectations when touring a museum
In an art museum and a natural history museum there is absolutely no touching of the artwork or exhibits, and
obviously no running!
Always be sure to encourage dialogue and appreciate each other's’ opinions without judgment. After all, art is
subjective!
Just like in the library we use quiet, indoor voices - “BUMP” has a very special soundtrack that includes whale
song and the sounds of boats.
The exhibit “BUMP” coming to our school has a definite exception to the no touching rule. Part of this
interesting kinetic sculpture is the shadows created on the flat surfaces when the bones are moved. It
gives the viewer the feeling of being beneath the ocean as the pieces slowly spin. Children and adults are
encouraged to gently touch and explore the bones in this interactive art exhibit.

4. What kind of whale
Bones will be on
exhibit in our building?
Pilot, Minke & Fin Whale Bones
are included in the interactive
exhibit

5. The Length of a Pilot Whale compared to a
human...
For short-finned pilot whales,
adult females reach a body length
of about 16.5 ft., while males reach
21.6 ft. and may weigh up to 3.5
tons or 7054.7 lbs.

6. The Length of a Minke Whale compared to a
human...
The Minke Whales are the
second smallest baleen
whale; only the pygmy right
whale is smaller.Reported
maximum lengths vary from
30 to 35 ft. for females and
29 to 32 ft. for males. Both
typically weigh 4–5 tons
(8,000-10,000 lbs) at
maturity, and the maximum
weight may be as much as
10 tons (20,000 lbs).

7. The Length of a Fin Whale compared to a
human...
The Fin Whale
(Balaenoptera physalus),
also called the finback
whale, razorback, or
common rorqual, is a
marine mammal
belonging to the suborder
of baleen whales. It is the
second-largest animal
after the blue whale, the
largest growing to 89.6 ft.
long and weighing nearly
74 tons (148,000 lbs).

8. Fin Whale Skeleton

9. http://i1.wp.com/kimberlymoynahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/whale-comparison-chart-full.jpg

10. Minke Whale
Videos
Click on the picture to see the video links

11. Whale Videos: other Species
10 Biggest Whales in the World
Swimming with a mother
Right Whale and her calf.
The Diver is
Pictured with a 45
foot Right Whale
Click on the picture to see the video links

12. Marine conservation : How can we help
Click on the picture to see the video links

13. Happy Earth Day
Click on the picture to see the video links

14. Before Visiting the Exhibit: Teacher Package
Whale Intro. Movie
Slides - What is BUMP?
Read Alouds- (sign up for getepic.com)
Suggestions:
K-1: “Whales” Cari Meister
2-3: “Whales: Oceans Alive” Ann Herriges
4-5: “Whales!” Irene Trimble
Science Incorporation- 5 senses
-conservation

15. During your Visit:
During your Visit:
Observations: What do you see, hear, and feel?
How many children does it take to make the length of
each of the whales?
Visitation Class photo
I notice…. I wonder… T chart observation notes

16. Possible Science Connections
Possible Science Connections:
Living/ Non Living
Five senses
Conservation/ Earth Day- human impact on environment

17. Using the 5 Senses -
possible explorations and experiments
Taste - Have you ever gone swimming in the ocean? Why does ocean water taste
different than fresh water? Experiment in the identification of fresh vs. Salty water.
Touch - Touch the surface of the whale bones. How would you describe how they feel?
Smell - Smell the whale bones. Do some bones smell different than others?
Hearing - Listen to sound of the ocean, the mechanical marine boat traffic and the
songs of the whales?
Sight - Check out the organic forms of the bones. The sight of the sizes compared to
the children visiting the display.

18. Experiments...
How many children (head
to toe) does it take to make
the length of each of our
whales?

19. The Minke Whale Skull weighs 140 lbs.
Estimate high or low how many children will it take to equal
the weight of the Minke Skull.
Using a scale weigh several children.
Chart their weight.
And figure who it would take, and how many children are
needed to be the same weight as the skull.

20. Follow-up Activities
What can we do to help protect these animals and the oceans?
Make a Whale Home
http://www.wdcs.org/wdcskids/en/story_details.php?select=1106
30,000 Dolphins for Brussels
http://www.wdcs.org/wdcskids/en/story_details.php?select=815
Enchanted Learning - Whales and Dolphins
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/activities/Classroomlinks.shtml

21. Make a Whale a Home
What does a safe home look like to you? Somewhere to be loved, cared for and protected perhaps? Somewhere clean,
with plenty to eat and shared with friends and family?
How about a safe home for a whale or dolphin?
We’d love you to get creative and draw what you think this might look like. Not only can you show off your artistic skills
but all the drawings we receive this spring and summer will help us create real safe homes for whales and dolphins in the
wild.
Click the Link below for more information:
http://www.wdcs.org/wdcskids/en/story_details.php?select=1106

22. 30,000 Dolphins For Brussels!
Whales and dolphins belong in the seas and oceans with their families and
friends!
With your help we're hoping to see an end to all dolphin captivity in Europe.
This autumn we presented European politians in Brussels with over 30,000
origami whales and dolphins made by children who want dolphins to be wild
and free!
PLEASE ADD YOUR WHALE OR DOLPHIN TO THOUSANDS OF
OTHERS.
We're still collecting origami and will continue to put pressure on Europe to
stop holding whales and dolphins in captivity.
Click the Link below for more information:
http://www.wdcs.org/wdcskids/en/story_details.php?select=815

23. Toothed vs. Baleen Whales

24. Toothed whales have rows of
carved teeth which they use to
grasp their food. Some large
toothed species, like the killer, feed
on other large mammals such as
the porpoise while others- e.g. the
sperm whale – eat smaller forms of
marine life like octopuses and
squids.

26. Anatomy of a Baleen Whale

27. Skeleton of a Baleen Whale

28. How do Baleen Whales Feed?
The whales lunge into a cloud of krill and drop open their
jaws. Pleats under the lower jaw open up, engulfing
huge amounts of water. The whale slows down because
of the drag. It behaves, in other words, a lot like a
parachute.
The scientists have found while feeding: in one lunge, a fin
whale can momentarily double its weight.
A fin whale can get 20 pounds of krill in a single gulp, but it
can gulp every 30 seconds. Because krill live in gigantic
swarms, they can keep gulping and get enough food in
four hours to fuel their bodies for an entire day.
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/24/the-origin-of-big/
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/08/15/the-origin-of-the-ridiculous/

29. The ARt-Side of
BUMP the kinetic
Sculpture
Bump Art Lessons K-5
What is Kinetic Sculpture?
Make a Whale Themed Kinetic Mobile.
Mixed Media Whale Watercolors
Exploring Organic Form
- Georgia O’Keefe & Edward Weston
How Artists use a “View Frame”
iPad Photography - Photographic Safari to the
BUMP exhibit in search of Organic Form

30. Whale-themed kinetic mobiles
You will learn about and create your own Whale-themed Kinetic Mobiles.
Kinetic Sculpture is sculpture that has elements that move. A Mobile is an example of
a Kinetic sculpture.
1. (Week 1) Trace a whale shape and other sea creatures - cut out and color using oil
pastels
2. Trace and decorate a circle shape on the back create/ draw a spiral. On the other
side embellish with ocean animals, patterns or texture plates.
3.Cut the spiral line carefully.
4. Tape/curling ribbon the whale to the end of the ribbon. Continue to tape curling
ribbon to the back of each creature to create the mobile.
Sometimes babies have mobiles in
their cribs
Kdg, 1st & 2nd

31. Whale Mixed Media Paintings
1. Name and secret code on the back of your paper
2. Use a pencil and the whale shape tracers (Pilot and fin whales as
many as you would like) on your paper.
3. Trace over your pencil line with a white oil pastel.
4. Add swirls of water in white, blue and purple oil pastels.
5. Add patterns and designs to the inside areas of the whale shapes.
6. Use watercolor paint washes to add the ocean.
Modified: instead of using watercolor paints use mr.Sketch markers to create blue and
purple concentric lines around the whale shapes. Green can be added too. If you want
to add hot color markers inside the whale (yellow, orange & red). Spray finished picture
with water to cause colors to bleed and blend.
3rd, 4th & 5th

32. ART - Organics
organic shapes are free-form, unpredictable and
flowing in appearance. These shapes, as well
as organic forms, visually suggest the natural
world of animals, plants, sky, sea, etc...
4th & 5th

33. Artists who explore the organic forms in
bones and nature:
The Paintings of Georgia O’Keefe

34. Artists who explore the organic forms in nature
The Photographs of Edward Weston

35. Conch: Organic Form
By. M.R.Perna. 2016
Close up of an
organic form…
What is this a
Photograph of?
(Click the first
three…still don’t know?
Click some more…)

36. ART - iPad Photography
Safari Experiment
Explore the “BUMP” Display through the eyes of your *view frames.
Find interesting and contrasting forms in dark and light tones in, on,
under and around the bones.
Working in teams of 2 or 3, take photographs using the ipads.
Decide on at least 3 printable photos of organic forms to submit to the
teacher.
The photos will be converted to black and white to show greater contrast
The photos are of the bones and the backgrounds, please avoid taking
“selfie” and groups style photos of your friends…(Your teachers will do that
when they are visiting the exhibit)
*The View Frame is a tool designed
to enable artists to measure
perspective, proportion and find
good compositions
Wild Nature - crawling tree roots - organic textures
and natural surface pattern inspiration for design

37. Art - BUMP Portfolio
“Tears of the Sea”
Ms. Perna
Watercolor 2016
Fernand 5th grade
BW photography
2016
Tyler 3rd grade
Conte Crayon 2016
Kaitlyn 4th grade
BW photography
2016
Leslie 4th grade
Color photography
2016
Unknown 5th grade
Color photography
2016

38. Links to Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minke_whale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin_whale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_whale
http://www.whalesandnails.com/Whales_%26_Nails/Home.html - Dan DenDanto’s Company
http://www.nordoluce.com/about.html - Frank DenDanto’s Company
https://marine-conservation.org/ - Site for Marine Conservation
https://globaloceanrefuge.org/ - Site for Marine Conservation

39. Dan DenDanto an alumni of the Middletown school district and MHS class of 87’ he is the
Director of the Fin Whale Catalog and a Senior Scientist at Allied Whale, a Research Associate at
College of the Atlantic, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences, and a
member of the Scientific Advisory Board of CETOS Research Organization. The research Dan has
been involved in includes the genetics, life history, population, phylogenetics and culture of whales in
the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Dan is the creator of Whales and Nails. He has been cleaning, articulating and restoring whale
skeletons professionally since 1993. He strives to create dynamic exhibits which convey more about
the animals’ lives than their deaths. Dan’s knowledge of whale anatomy and extensive experience in
the field contribute to his extraordinary ability to accurately display the remains of these magnificent
creatures.
The Creators of “BUMP”
Click on the picture to see the video link

40. Dan DenDanto’s
Company

41. Frank DenDanto III
Former Middletown resident and Alumni of MHS class of 86’, Frank is a rigging and
lighting design expert, who is also a sculptor and Artist. He and his brother Daniel
DenDanto have created an amazing nationally touring display called “Bump.”
It is an community outreach program that is an effort to intrigue and inform the public and
school children about our oceans and the precious endangered Mammals, whales that
call the world’s oceans their home.
Frank DenDanto III draws on a broad background as
project manager and designer. Frank’s front-and-center
involvement with Performance Space 122 as resident
designer is emblematic of his interest in arts exploration,
innovation, and artistic risk-taking. He has designed for
countless theater, dance, and performance artists, a
range that includes Spaulding Gray, Baryshnikov Dance
Foundation’s White Oak Dance Project, and all of the
controversial “NEA Four.”

42. Frank DenDanto’s
Company

43. Teacher’s Guide to BUMP was created Collaboratively by
Kylie Mollicone & Michele “Missy” Perna
Pictured with Kylie and Missy is Frank DenDanto the
Artist and creative force behind BUMP

44. Thank You
We hope you enjoy the
Exhibit