Shark!

As many of you already know, Fluffy and I had another exciting summer adventure, and I am long overdue in providing clues to the mystery of where we went. 

Clue #1: I got to swim with sharks--three times!

(Fluffy watched from the dinghy.)

What does this tell you about where Fluffy and I traveled?


Look closely at the shark, particularly the dorsal fin, and do a little research about what type of shark it might be.  Where can they be found?  Are they aggressive?  I was cautious because a shark is a wild animal with teeth, but was a shark attack likely? 




Challenge Question for Children: We've been studying Force and Motion, and we know that in order to begin moving, an object or organism must have a force act upon it. Our muscles move us by pulling our bones and pushing our feet against the ground as we walk. Watch the shark's movement.  What is the shark pushing against in order to move?

Breathtakingly cool!

As an added bonus, swimming with sharks brings big bragging benefits--classroom cred, if you will.  Imagine telling a group of elementary children that their teacher swam with sharks over the summer!

Science has successfully seduced more than one reluctant reader into the wonderful world of book lust. When these readers (typically--but not always--boys) tell you that they don't like to read, usually what they mean is that they don't like stories.  They are, however, often highly motivated to read non-fiction about a topic of interest.  Sometimes it's fossils.  Sometimes it's dinosaurs.  Frequently, it's sharks.  A child who is fascinated by sharks will be surprisingly eager and persistent in reading a challenging book if it helps him learn more about this seemingly sinister species. When I see a shark book in the monthly book order, I order it up for our classroom library!

This is why I was a little star-struck when I met Kathy Zoehfeld!  She is the author of some of my favorite non-fiction science books for children, but I met Kathy when we were both working as volunteer "diggers" with the Houston Musuem of Natural Science paleontology field program.  When I found Fluffster 15 (the Eryops fossil I named in honor of Fluffy and our class), Kathy (far more experienced than I) did much of the work carefully separating the delicate bones from the surrounding dirt and rocks.  It's exciting to be able to talk with her about education, science, and books! 

Children (and adults), if you have questions for a professional author, enter a comment here and I'm sure Kathy would love to answer your questions!

There's a Book for That!
Great White Shark: Ruler of the Sea by Kathleen Zoehfeld
Sharks by Seymour Simon
Incredible Sharks by Seymour Simon
Amazing Sharks! by Sarah Thomson
National Geographic Readers: Sharks! by Anne Schreiber
Hammerhead vs. Bull Shark (Who Would Win?)
Hammerhead Shark by Deborah Nuzzolo
Great White Shark by Deborah Nuzzolo
Bull Shark by Deborah Nuzzolo
Tiger Shark by Deborah Nuzzolo
Outside and Inside Sharks by Sandra Markle
Face to Face with Sharks by David Doubilet and Jennifer Hays