Dolphin Tale

About the Movie

In an inspirational story of the bond between animals and humans, a boy named Sawyer discovers an injured dolphin who is brought to a marine hospital and named Winter. Unfortunately, Winter's injuries cost the dolphin her tail, without which she may not survive. But with Sawyer's devotion, a marine biologist's (Harry Connick Jr.) expertise, and the brilliance of a prosthetist (Morgan Freeman) charged with creating a new tail, Winter may receive a second chance at life.

Filmed on location at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Dolphin Tale features the real Winter, playing herself. She is symbol of courage, perseverance, and hope for the millions of people—both able and disabled—who have been touched by her remarkable recovery.

Educator's Guide

This guide, designed for use with the film Dolphin Tale 2, helps students explore the film’s themes in an educational setting. The activities are designed for grades 3 through 5, with extensions for younger and older children. These activities meet national standards for English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Visual Arts.

More Activities

Adopt an Animal: Want to help National Wildlife Federation protect dolphins and their marine habitat?
Use our educator's guide to help your class, club, or community throw a dolphin adoption party! Make it fun and come up with creative ways to help people care about dolphins, like sharing some of the fun facts below. One goal of the celebration could be to raise funds to symbolically adopt a dolphin.

Fun Facts about Dolphins:

There are more than 30 kinds of dolphins in the world. They are found in all oceans and in a few rivers. Winter is a bottlenose dolphin from the Atlantic Ocean.

In the wild, dolphins live in small groups called pods. Pod members work together to protect each other from enemies such as sharks. Sometimes the moms form a safe “playpen” by swimming together with the babies in the middle.

Bottlenose dolphins can live to be 40 years old. Winter is just a baby when she is rescued.

Green a School: Another way kids can help is by making their school more eco-friendly. The National Wildlife Federation's Eco-Schools USA program helps schools green their buildings, grounds, and curriculum. By helping your students reduce their school’s environmental footprint, they can help dolphins and other wildlife—as well as people and the whole planet. Learn more and check out the Eco-Schools USA water pathway for ideas.

Where We Work

More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.

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