Introduction
Sharks are amazing ocean animals. In this WebQuest, you will learn general information about sharks: their bodies, teeth, feeding habits, breeding habits (babies), and characteristics of different types of sharks.
Many people fear sharks because they think sharks are dangerous to humans. When we finish this WebQuest, we will discuss the following question:
Are sharks more dangerous to humans or are humans more dangerous to sharks?
Read on to find out more!
Task
For the first part of this task, you will work with a partner to learn general information about sharks.
After you have gained some general information about sharks, you will then choose and research a specific shark and take notes on the following:
Physical Description
Diet
Habitat
Size
Three Interesting Facts
We will use this research to create our shark research vests and heads for our Shark Fashion Show. Have fun!
Process
Task 1:
Before you do your research on the shark you have chosen for the Shark Fashion Show, first you need to build your "mental files" on sharks.
Please explore these websites to read about sharks.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/index.html
http://www.kidzone.ws/sharks/facts.htm (Press CLICK HERE to read in order.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Task 2:
With your new knowledge of sharks, you are ready to research now the shark you will be in the Shark Fashion Show. Using the note-taking paper you have been given, explore the links for your shark to take notes about your shark's:
Physical Description, Diet and how it eats, Habitat (where it lives), Size, Three Interesting Facts
See the links below for individual sharks:
Hammerhead
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Hammerhead.shtml
https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/worlds-deadliest/00000144-0a29-d3cb-a96c-7b2dae6e0000 Video
https://www.watchkin.com/a739b711af
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blacktip Reef Shark
https://watchkin.com/5f766e1cd3 average length and habitat; some feeding habits
https://www.scubadiving.com/8-fun-facts-about-blacktip-reef-sharks
https://easyscienceforkids.com/blacktip-shark/
https://answersingenesis.org/kids/fish/sharks/blacktip-reef-shark/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angel Shark
https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Angelshark.shtml
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Angel-shark/309852
Physical Description:
- They have very large mouths with razor-sharp teeth found at the end of blunted snouts.
- Another characteristic that makes Angel Sharks different than rays is they have five gill slits on the sides of their heads instead of underneath.
- Angels Sharks have nine rows of teeth on the top of their jaw and ten rows on the bottom jaw with a center space containing no teeth, perfect for catching and eating their prey.
- At the end of their snout, there are also two barbels, sensory organs that act like whiskers to help they detect prey.
- Angel Sharks have eyes on the top of their heads to see their prey.
- Angel Sharks use camouflage to trap their prey. Their skin is usually mottled with brown, black, grey, green, white, and red spots to look like mud or sand.
- The underside of an Angel Shark is usually smooth and white.
- Angel Sharks are a really unique species of shark. They have flat bodies and extremely long pelvic and pectoral fins, so they are often mistaken for rays. However, unlike rays, these bottom-dwelling sharks use their long fins to steer.
- Angel Sharks tend to live in shallow temperate waters, though some species like depths of up to 500 feet.
- In the wild, Angel Sharks can live between 25 and 35 years old.
- An average Angel Shark weighs around 77 pounds.
- Adult Angel Sharks are usually 5 feet long, but some species, like the Japanese Angel Shark can grow up to 6.5 feet.
- Angel Sharks are carnivores that eat fish, mollusks, squid, and various crustaceans. They particularly like flatfishes and skates.
- They are ambush hunters sensing when prey comes near; they strike at a 90-degree angle with powerful suction and grab their prey within a 1/10 of a second.
COOL Videos Angel Sharks: https://watchkin.com/1337276a27 https://watchkin.com/33e2433c16
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whale Shark
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark/
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Whaleshark.shtml
http://www.whalefacts.org/whale-shark-facts/
Video with great facts: https://watchkin.com/20fbf2e2a1
https://watchkin.com/5f766e1cd3 size, feeding habits, why they are endangered (end of video)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cookiecutter shark
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/classroom/sharktemplates/Cookiecutter.shtml
http://mentalfloss.com/article/57124/14-facts-about-cookiecutter-shark
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/cookiecuttershark/cookiecuttershark.html
http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/cookiecutter_shark_facts/1783/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great White Shark
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/great-white-shark/
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Greatwhite.shtml
https://watchkin.com/2aea49a54d Credit: YouTube: National Geographic Video about great whites
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thresher Shark
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Thresher.shtml
http://animalstime.com/thresher-shark-facts-thresher-shark-diet-habitat/
https://www.sharksider.com/10-incredible-facts-thresher-sharks/
1https://watchkin.com/c6283f9415 Credit: YouTube and NY Times: Thresher sharks using their tails to stun and catch fish
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tiger Shark
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Tigershark.shtml
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/tiger-shark/
https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/descript/tigershark/tigershark.htm
https://watchkin.com/19c9daf9af Credit: YouTube and National Geographic: Tiger shark video-interesting facts here!
https://watchkin.com/5f766e1cd3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blue Shark
http://www.sharks-world.com/blue_shark
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Blueshark.shtml
http://www.arkive.org/blue-shark/prionace-glauca/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goblin Shark
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Goblin.shtml
http://www.sharks-world.com/goblin_shark/
https://watchkin.com/fc2dffd6af Credit: YouTube and National Geographic: Goblin Shark eating video-discusses length and special features
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nurse Shark
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/n/nurse-shark/#close
https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Nurseshark.shtmlhttps://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Nurseshark.shtml
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mako Shark
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Mako.shtml
http://www.sharksider.com/mako-shark/ Good place for cool facts about the mako.
http://extremesharkfacts.com/sharks/mako-shark-facts/
https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/magazine/0000015d-5b6a-d466-a57f-dbea31630000
Video: https://watchkin.com/73198c6ee8 Lots of cool facts-watch a few times and take notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megalodon
https://sciencing.com/megalodon-kids-5038897.html
http://study.com/academy/lesson/megalodon-facts-lesson-for-kids.html
http://www.coolfactsforkids.com/megalodon-facts-for-kids/
Mysterious Disappearance
For reasons that are still unclear, megalodon went extinct about 2 million years ago, during the middle Miocene era.
One hypothesis, said Klimley, is that megalodon was unable to adapt to changing ocean conditions.
Megalodon thrived during a time when the Earth's oceans were generally much warmer, and conditions were much more uniform.
But throughout the Miocene, the Isthmus of Panama started forming, culminating with the closure of the Central American Seaway around 3 million years ago.
This shut off any exchange between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and one consequence of this was that regions of Earth's seas became cooler.
Unlike its cousin the great white, megalodon may have been unable to evolve endothermy, or the ability to maintain an elevated body temperature, scientists say.
Another factor in megalodon's decline may have been the rise of competitors such as killer whales.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basking Shark
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/basking-sharks
https://easyscienceforkids.com/basking-shark/
BEHAVIOR
The behavior of the basking shark is still unknown except for some information obtained from the observations. The motto of “basking” was got because it spends a long time feeding under the sun. One theory states that it prefers to feed in surface waters when there is abundant plankton in that part of the ocean, and at the same time it drops the spines of its gills. These are then renewed and so on, in a continuous seasonal process.
During the winter there are no sightings of basking sharks near the surface. Therefore scientists think that they migrate to deeper southern waters until the next summer. During this season many individuals are seen on the coasts of Iceland and northern Europe as they travel there to mate.
Its English name “basking shark,” means “taking the sun”.
The sturdy body and slow movements of the basking shark are not an impediment to jump out of the water trying to shed its parasites. It is also a relatively social animal because sometimes it forms small groups divided according to gender. Sometimes, they can form schools of up to 100 members.
Its English name “basking shark,” which means “taking the sun,” comes from its habit of swimming very close to the surface.
DESCRIPTION
The most impressive feature of the basking shark is its mouth, which opens up to 1 meter wide. It has a conical body covered with a layer of mucus, gray or brown skin on the back and white on the belly. Its dorsal and pectoral fins are so large that they can reach 2 meters each and its tail is crescent moon shaped.
It has a conical snout and large gills. Inside its mouth, this shark has several hook-shaped small teeth. Its liver is about 25 percent of its total body weight and is rich in squalene, a substance that helps the shark to float.
Its liver is about 25 percent of its total body weight.
Its weight ranges between 3,000 and 6,000 kilograms, and its length is around 6.7 and 8.8 meters.
Characteristics of the basking shark.
Basking shark – Cetorhinus maximus
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
The basking shark inhabits all oceans of the world, but it prefers the subpolar seas and in general cold and temperate waters of the continental shelves. It was recently discovered that it goes as far south as the equator and dwells into warmer waters.
Its habitat changes according to the food availability. In summer it goes to coastal areas to feed abundantly on copepods, but as soon as the winter begins, it migrates to cold water areas. Sometimes it gets close to the coast, and its great body is seen below the surface following concentrations of plankton near the surface.
Leopard Shark
https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/leopard-shark
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/triakis-semifasciata/
https://animals.net/leopard-shark/
https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/sea-wonder-leopard-shark/
Video with great facts: https://watchkin.com/9268fd780e
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/leopard-shark
Conclusion
Now that we have finished our WebQuest, what are your thoughts?
What surprised you about sharks?
What was your favorite fact you learned?
Are sharks more dangerous to humans or are humans more dangerous to sharks?