Sharks

Beverly Roy

Sharks

Standard

SC.4.N.1.1 The Nature of Science NGSSS (Next Generation Sunshine State Standards)

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Raise questions about the natural world, use appropriate reference materials that support understanding to obtain information (identifying the source), conduct both individual and team investigations through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.

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Objectives

Students will use research methods/material to investigate sharks:

• adaptations/biology
• behaviors
• habitats
• myths

sandbar sharks

Activate Background Knowledge

Chart what you know about sharks in the appropriate column using the table in your packet.

Sharks

• Cartilaginous (cartilage skeleton)
• Almost 400 species
• Size ranges from a few inches to more than 40 feet
• Shaped like a torpedo
• Rough, scaly skin
• No gas-inflated bladders

lemon sharks

Sharks

• Depend on fins for locomotion and balance
• Constant motion of fins to keep from sinking
• Jaws loosely connected to skulls allowing mouths to open wide
• Mouths contain rows of teeth to replace lost or damaged teeth
• Teeth vary by shark based on what and how they eat
• carnivorous

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Basic Shark Facts

Basic Facts

hammerhead shark

great white shark

Sharks

• Some, like the mako shark, have sharp, pointed teeth to pierce their prey
• Some, like the angelshark, prey on shellfish and have teeth and jaws designed to crush their prey
• Others, like the whale shark, are filter feeders and gather zooplankton and small fish as they swim with open mouths
• View Shark Teeth podcast
• Bullshark video

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Carlile, 2008

Sharks

photos: Shark vs. Fish

Great White Shark

Click link to learn more about the great white shark, then follow the video & sound link tab. The map tab shows where great white sharks live.

Link to interactive anatomy of

a great white shark

Sharks

photo: National Geographic

Whale Shark Video Clip

Sharks

• Keen sense of smell
• Two nostrils; one on either side of snout
• Electroreception: detect electrical fields produced by living things
• Sense presence of hidden prey
• Scavengers: clean up dead and decaying marine animals

Carlile, 2008

carpet shark

Sharks

Sharks vs. Fish

Electroreception

Ocean Adventures

Interactive

Web Game

Learn more about swell, great white, and reef sharks from this interactive game.

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swell shark

Conclusion

Chart what you know about sharks in the appropriate columns using the table in your packet.

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References

Biology of Sharks and Rays. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.elasmo-research.org/index.html

Carlile, V. (2008). Creative experiences in science marine life. Hawthorne,�NJ: Educational Impressions, Inc.

Cousteau, J.M. (2006-2009). Ocean Adventures. Retrieved from http://www.pbs. org/�kqed/oceanadventures/funandgames/jmc_sharks.html?intro=false

Diving Shark Alley. (2009). Retrieved March 26, 2013 from http://www.�watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=1340&CategoryID=352

National Geographic. (1996-2013). Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark/

Shark vs.Fish. (2013). Retrieved January 22, 2013 from http://mail. colonial.net/~hkaiter/ sharkfish. html

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