A Dolphin’s Lonely Quest

(From The Times, 12 March 2015)

by Janice Ross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To consider the need to belong and be accepted by others.

Preparation and materials

• Note: Be aware of the particular circumstances of the children who will be attending when using this assembly – especially those who are being cared for away from their families.
• You will need animage of bottlenose dolphins and the means to display it during the assembly.
• You will also need a map of Great Britain and a whiteboard.
• Familiarize yourself with the following excerpt from the article in The Times, 12 March 2015, after which this assembly is named:
  
  A bottlenose dolphin who has spent three years roaming British waters in the search for a pod he can join has turned up on the coast of Dorset. Clet, as he is known, is thought to be between seven and nine years old and has swum about 1,500 miles between Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and the Scottish island of Mull. Although he meets other dolphins, pods – which are usually family groups – have not accepted him.

Assembly

1. Read out the first sentence of the excerpt from the article in The Times quoted in the ‘Preparation and materials’ section:

A bottlenose dolphin who has spent three years roaming British waters in the search for a pod he can join has turned up on the coast of Dorset.

Display the image of bottlenose dolphins.

2. Check that the children are familiar with the term ‘pod’ for a group of dolphins, then read out the next sentence from the article:

Clet, as he is known, is thought to be between seven and nine years old and has swum about 1,500 miles between Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and the Scottish island of Mull.

Locate Dorset and all the other places mentioned in the article on the map. Use the map to trace Clet’s long journey around the shores of Britain.

3. Read out the final sentence from the article:

Although he meets other dolphins, pods – which are usually family groups – have not accepted him.

4. Discuss with the children how this article makes them feel.

Make lists on the whiteboard as you discuss the following questions.

– Which words might describe how the dolphin has been feeling all these years?

– Which words describe what the children think about the other dolphins?

– What would they want to happen?

Time for reflection

Ask the children to consider for a few moments if they have ever felt like this dolphin.

Ask them to think if they know someone, even today, who may be feeling like this dolphin.

Ask, ‘What would you like to happen?’

Prayer

Dear God,
Thank you for the love and compassion you have given us for this dolphin, Clet.
We pray that it might find a family to belong to.
We also pray for ourselves today.
We need to know that we belong and are important to others.
May we all feel loved and accepted in our school family today.
Amen.