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General
Teach students about these ancient and often misunderstood creatures! Students learn the characteristics of sharks and explore the different types of sharks that exist. They will discuss the importance of sharks in our oceans and conclude with a game of memory.
Standards
3-LS4-2; 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1; 5-ESS2-2
Learning objective
Students will be able to describe common characteristics of sharks and compare and contrast different species of sharks. They will also determine the importance of sharks as apex predators in our ocean’s ecosystem.
Introduction
Begin with an activity called “Fact or fiction?” Students drag the green or red circles beside each statement to determine whether a statement is “fact” or “fiction.” Discuss how students are making their predictions. Is it based on scientific knowledge or on assumptions? Go over each response.
Instruction
Have students share what comes to mind when they first think of sharks. Explain that there are many different kinds of sharks and that their skeletons are made of cartilage. Have students feel their ears to feel the cartilage in their own bodies. Next, discuss how sharks eat and share that they rarely attack humans. Watch the short video and have students discuss the important role of sharks in our oceans. What would happen if there were no sharks left?
After this, show students the diagram of the different parts of a shark. They then drag each label to the correct box. Finally, students learn about different types of sharks like the angel shark and the whale shark. You can choose to have students choose a shark to research on their own.
Closing
The lesson ends with a shark memory game in which students match the different shark images.
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About Gynzy
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.