Prehistoric Shark Animations
WHEREClassroom — 40 min
WHOParent Helper
MATERIALSPrehistoric Shark Animations book (made by Teacher Helen Rojas)
Prehistoric skull templates
Paper and Pencils and Scissors
WHATIntroduction
1. Ask kids to describe what a shark looks like to them.
2. Write down answers on a chart.
3. Go over answers and show them a picture of a great white.
4. Tell them that now the majority of sharks have a similar shape (pointy nose, triangular fins, sleek body, etc). Sharks that lived millions of years ago had lots of different (and weird) bodies.

Activity
1. Show them 3 or 4 different sharks from the Prehistoric Shark Animations book and read the descriptions.
2. Explain how scientists have never seen these sharks in real life, but they were able to figure out what they looked like based on fossils that they found.
3. Go over “Make your own shark” on the last page of the Prehistoric Shark Animations book.
4. Pass out templates and paper.
5. Have kids put together a skeleton using the templates and trace on white paper.
6. Cut the skeleton and glue on constructions paper.
7. Have them make up a shark name using their name and write it on the paper. (ex: Lilyodon, Lilysaurus, Lilyanthus)
8. Collect their work and share their sharks.
NGSS
LS1.A Structure and function
LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
LS1.B Growth and development of organisms
Support for differentiation: (ie visual, auditory, written instructions, peer helper, grouping, activate prior knowledge, modification for different grades), checklist different modes of learning with suggestions
Modification for different grade levels: