Don’t Be Afraid To Protect Sharks!
Some people are afraid to even put their toe in the ocean because of them. Others are afraid that their numbers are declining. What is causing these two types of fears? Sharks! Those who study sharks tell us that sharks provide an important service to the ecosystem of oceans. Because they are at the top of the food chain, they help keep the ocean healthy. But the shark population is in decline. Organizations that protect sharks hope that when people understand sharks, they will support the protection of them. This is important as humans kill over 100 million sharks each year.
Read these important shark facts. Solve the math problems and be ready to share your thinking with a friend.
1. Scientists tell us there are about 440 species of sharks in our oceans. Approximately 25 species of sharks have been known to attack humans.
About how many shark species leave humans alone?
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I solved this problem by
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2. Sharks vary widely in size. The smallest shark is the dwarf lanternshark, which is 6 inches long. The whale shark is at the other end of the scale. It is about 50 feet long.
What is the size difference between a dwarf lantern shark and a whale shark?
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I solved this problem by
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3. Sharks need to keep swimming. This is an important shark fact that relates to why so many sharks die each year. The fastest shark is the shortfinmako shark. They can swim at constant speeds of about 22 miles per hour. When they really want to speed along, they can increase their speed to almost 50 miles per hour. This is a speedy shark. Think about the really fast Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps. He has been clocked at a rate of 6 miles per hour.
What is the difference between the fastest speed of the shortfinmako shark and the fast human swimmer, Michael Phelps?
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I solved this problem by
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4. When people think about scary sharks, they may picture a large open mouth with glaring teeth. A shark does have unique teeth and can constantly replace them. Sharks can go through as many as 30,000 teeth in a lifetime.
If you wanted to compare this to the mouth of a human, what information would you need?
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Dear Colleague,
We at Maggie’s Earth Adventures have been concerned about sharks since the days we first came online back in 2000. Our first animation (cartoon) is an example of our commitment to the problems of overfishing. One of the first units we shared with our partners was a book study on sharks using the famed author, Jean Craighead George’s book, Shark Beneath the Reef. We hope you will take a look at these resources on our site, Additionally, our friend and daughter of Jean Craighead George, Twig George, wrote a wonderful book that is sure to get your young readers thinking about sharks in a new way. Swimming With Sharks will help your students understand the terrible practice of finning. The book shows the change of attitude of the main character as she discovers the beauty of and important role that sharks play in the ecosystem. We highly recommend these books as extended reading.
As you explore the mathematics and science of sharks, encourage your students to look at other key facts. For example, more people are killed each year by vending machines or even toilets contrasted with the number of humans killed by sharks. Yes – those are amazing statistics. And they are sure to motivate your students! Some in your class can make charts to show these comparisons/contrasts. These types of text feature can be powerful as environmental ideas are shared with the public. Encourage your students to consider how information can and should be shared in the public arena to help the greatest number of people understand the plight of endangered species.
Of course, as you know we want our students to articulate the reasoning behind mathematical problem solving. This is why we have included this section in our WAP. As teachers we want to be able to adequately model thinking for our students. We have previously talked about modeling as it relates to comprehension instruction. But, this high-leverage practice is necessary in mathematics, too. The key in this subject area is that we need to model alternate ways of problem solving so that our students know there can be multiple ways to arrive at a final answer.
Happy teaching,
Dr. Kathy
Answer Key:
Please note that while the calculations may seem “easy” we find that numbers seemingly hidden in text can be confusing to students. Additionally, the reasoning section of each problem is important and is best discussed by small groups of students.
- 415 species
- 49 ½ feet
- 44 miles per hour
- Information regarding how many teeth adults have in a lifetime is needed.
Goals:
Students will read key facts and figures about sharks. They use the information to solve mathematical problems. In addition to answers, students are asked to share the thinking behind their calculations. This activity is available on the primary and intermediate levels with a companion emergent reader activity also available. They are aligned with Common Core Math, Operations and Algebraic Thinking and with NCTM’s Content Standard, Number and Operations, and with the Process Standards, Problem Solving and Reasoning and Proof.
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2018. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.