The Big The Big MiracleMiracle

Vocabulary PreviewVocabulary Preview

A True Story from 1988A True Story from 1988

Barrow, AlaskaBarrow, Alaska

Main setting for the Main setting for the movie movie The Big The Big MiracleMiracle

Located in Located in Northern AlaskaNorthern Alaska

Grey WhaleGrey Whale

Length about 40 to 50 Length about 40 to 50 feet.  Weight about 50,000 feet.  Weight about 50,000 to  80,000 pounds.   I have to  80,000 pounds.   I have read that they live up to 50 read that they live up to 50 years.   Just like people, years.   Just like people, once they reach middle once they reach middle age, they seem to get age, they seem to get broader .  The Gray Whales broader .  The Gray Whales have a double blow hole.   have a double blow hole.  

For More Information:For More Information: http://www.greywhale.comhttp://www.greywhale.com/interest.htm/interest.htm

FlukeFluke

The body part on a The body part on a whale that we whale that we often call the tailoften call the tail

Green Peace Green Peace OrganizationOrganization Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth

deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.change. It needs action.

Greenpeace is an independent global Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace by:the environment and to promote peace by:

CatalysingCatalysing an energy revolution an energy revolution to address the to address the number one threat facing our planet: climate number one threat facing our planet: climate change. change.

Defending our oceansDefending our oceans by challenging wasteful and by challenging wasteful and destructive fishing, and creating a global destructive fishing, and creating a global network of marine reserves. network of marine reserves.

Protecting the world's ancient forestsProtecting the world's ancient forests and the and the animals, plants and people that depend on them. animals, plants and people that depend on them.

Working for disarmament and peaceWorking for disarmament and peace by tackling the by tackling the causes of conflict and calling for the elimination causes of conflict and calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. of all nuclear weapons.

Creating a toxic free futureCreating a toxic free future with safer alternatives with safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals in today's products and to hazardous chemicals in today's products and manufacturing. manufacturing.

Campaigning for sustainable agricultureCampaigning for sustainable agriculture by rejecting by rejecting genetically engineered organisms, protecting genetically engineered organisms, protecting biodiversity and encouraging socially responsible biodiversity and encouraging socially responsible farming. farming.

Greenpeace is present in 40 countries across Greenpeace is present in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific.Pacific.

For More Information:For More Information: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/

National GuardNational Guard You'll serve your community, your state and You'll serve your community, your state and

your country.your country. As a Guard Soldier, you can expect your primary As a Guard Soldier, you can expect your primary

area of operation to be your home state, area of operation to be your home state, following the leadership of your state adjutant following the leadership of your state adjutant general and governor. This may include general and governor. This may include community efforts, responding to wildfires or community efforts, responding to wildfires or floods. Or, it may include serving overseas, floods. Or, it may include serving overseas, training foreign forces.training foreign forces.

You will also be prepared to mobilize when You will also be prepared to mobilize when directed by the president. This may include directed by the president. This may include overseas service or domestic, such as serving overseas service or domestic, such as serving along the U.S.-Mexico border.along the U.S.-Mexico border.

So, what does the National Guard do? Whatever So, what does the National Guard do? Whatever is needed, wherever it is needed.is needed, wherever it is needed.

Did you know?Did you know?President George W. Bush is the only President George W. Bush is the only former Air National Guardsman to be president of the former Air National Guardsman to be president of the United States; the other 19 had Army Guard service. United States; the other 19 had Army Guard service.

For More Information:For More Information:http://www.nationalguard.com/guard-basics/what-is-thhttp://www.nationalguard.com/guard-basics/what-is-the-national-guard-s-mission?icid=meganav_guard-basice-national-guard-s-mission?icid=meganav_guard-basics-what-is-the-national-guard-s-mission_20110720s-what-is-the-national-guard-s-mission_20110720

StrandedStranded

Stuck, needs helpStuck, needs help

Frozen LandscapeFrozen Landscape

The land is all The land is all frozen- snow, icefrozen- snow, ice

TragedyTragedy

Something terrible Something terrible that has happenedthat has happened

Hover BargeHover Barge

This is a very large and This is a very large and powerful ship that floats powerful ship that floats like a barge…like a barge…

The Hoverbarge will float like The Hoverbarge will float like a standard marine barge a standard marine barge whilst off hover.  On hover the whilst off hover.  On hover the Hoverbarge can traverse Hoverbarge can traverse sandbars, shallow water, deep sandbars, shallow water, deep water, ice, ice rubble/chunks water, ice, ice rubble/chunks and land, enabling loading and land, enabling loading and offloading on land via and offloading on land via ramps.  The Hoverbarge is ramps.  The Hoverbarge is fully amphibious enabling it to fully amphibious enabling it to operate during any operate during any seasonseason, at any water depth , at any water depth and without the need to build and without the need to build roads or dredge rivers. roads or dredge rivers.

ArcticArctic

characteristic of the characteristic of the extremely cold, snowy, extremely cold, snowy, windy weather north of the windy weather north of the Arctic Circle; frigid; bleak: Arctic Circle; frigid; bleak: an arctic winter. an arctic winter.

( often initial capital letter ) ( often initial capital letter ) the region lying north of the the region lying north of the Arctic Circle or of the Arctic Circle or of the northernmost limit of tree northernmost limit of tree growth; the polar area growth; the polar area north of the timber line. north of the timber line.

For More Information:For More Information:http://www.athropolis.com/lihttp://www.athropolis.com/links/arctic.htm nks/arctic.htm

North PoleNorth Pole

The The North PoleNorth Pole, , the northernmost the northernmost point on the Earth, point on the Earth, can be defined in can be defined in four different ways four different ways

MigrationMigration

the periodic passage the periodic passage of groups of animals of groups of animals (especially birds or (especially birds or fishes) from one fishes) from one region to another for region to another for feeding or breeding feeding or breeding

The grey whales will The grey whales will migrate from the migrate from the cold Arctic to the cold Arctic to the warmer waters near warmer waters near Mexico.Mexico.

PublicityPublicity

Getting attention Getting attention for something that for something that has happenedhas happened

Press or MediaPress or Media

The news The news reporters, reporters, magazines, magazines, newspaper writers, newspaper writers, photographers, photographers, interviewers, tv interviewers, tv reporters, radio reporters, radio newsnews

EndangeredEndangered

An An endangered endangered speciesspecies is a population is a population of animals which is at of animals which is at risk of becoming risk of becoming extinct because it is extinct because it is either few in numbers, either few in numbers, or threatened by or threatened by changing changing environmental or environmental or predation parameters .predation parameters .

Teamwork Teamwork

Working together Working together to help one anotherto help one another

Last Ditch EffortLast Ditch Effort

Giving it one last bit of Giving it one last bit of attentionattention

This is the last try because This is the last try because we are out of ideas.we are out of ideas.

A desperate final attempt, A desperate final attempt, as in as in We're making a last-We're making a last-ditch effort to finish on ditch effort to finish on time time . This expression . This expression alludes to the military alludes to the military sense of sense of last ditch last ditch , "the , "the last line of defense." Its last line of defense." Its figurative use dates from figurative use dates from the early 1800s. the early 1800s.

RussiaRussia

A country north of A country north of ChinaChina

USSR… The Soviet UnionUSSR… The Soviet Union

The USSR is mostly The USSR is mostly what we NOW call what we NOW call Russia.Russia.

During the movie it During the movie it was call USSR.was call USSR.

Union of Soviet Union of Soviet Socialists RepublicSocialists Republic

It is also referred to It is also referred to as the Soviet as the Soviet Union.Union.

SovietsSoviets

The people from The people from the USSR.the USSR.

This is the largest This is the largest group of whale group of whale hunters, by the hunters, by the way.way.

InuitInuit

The native people in Alaska-The native people in Alaska-

Daily Life: Daily Life: The Inuit life was a The Inuit life was a hard one. During the day, they hard one. During the day, they hunted for food. At night, the hunted for food. At night, the Inuit sheltered tent homes Inuit sheltered tent homes made of animals skins, or in ice made of animals skins, or in ice igloos, a skill they learned from igloos, a skill they learned from the Central Eskimos. They the Central Eskimos. They made spears, harpoons, and made spears, harpoons, and pipes. They carved animals pipes. They carved animals from soft soapstone. They from soft soapstone. They found time storytelling. Songs found time storytelling. Songs that told tales of hunting and that told tales of hunting and hardship accompanied their hardship accompanied their stories.  stories. 

For More Information:For More Information:http://nativeamericans.mrdonnhttp://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/arctic/inuit.html .org/arctic/inuit.html

Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan

4040thth President President

President during President during the time the the time the whales were whales were trapped in the ice.trapped in the ice.

Served 1981-1989Served 1981-1989