Sharks for Kids | Learn all about these big fish!

Sharks! Hello animal enthusiasts! We are going to learn about sharks today. If you want to read along with us, check out learnbrite.org to find this lesson plan. What are sharks? Sharks have been in the oceans for over 400 million years. That means sharks were swimming in the oceans before the dinosaurs existed. And they haven't changed much over time. While sharks often have a bad reputation, they are amazing animals that don't want to hurt humans. Their enormous mouths and super sharp teeth make them one of the most frightening animals on the planet. Some people think sharks are mammals, but sharks are fish. People often confuse a shark with a dolphin or porpoise because a shark fin looks similar from a distance. Dolphins and porpoises are sea mammals. Mammals have hair, breathe using lungs, and produce milk. But sharks don't have these characteristics. Instead, sharks have scales and fins and breathe using gills. Gills are organs that extract oxygen from water. Sharks are a particular type of fish classified as an elasmobranch. Elasmobranches have a body made of cartilage, an elastic tissue, instead of bones like rays, sawfish, and skates. There are over 500 different species of shark. While most sharks live in temperate or warm oceans, some have found other places to live. For example, the Greenland shark lives in the cold Arctic waters. Sand sharks like to live at the bottom of shallow water areas. And the Portuguese shark is the opposite, living in the deepest parts of the ocean. Sharks come in all sizes and colors. The whale shark is the largest living fish because it reaches 50 feet long and weighs about 20 tons. The dwarf lantern shark is the smallest and is only about 7 and a half inches long. But all sharks have the same basic shape. They usually have gray skin but can also be cream, yellow, bronze, blue, or almost black, with bands, spots, or marble patterns. Most have a pointed snout that extends over their mouth. But the hammerhead shark, of course, has a broad, flat head. Sharks' teeth are sharp and triangular and grow throughout their lives. They also have pointed fins and muscular, upturned tails. What do they eat? There are as many different eating habits as there are sharks. Most sharks are carnivores and very efficient predators. They eat fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. Large sharks will also eat dolphins, seals, sea lions, tuna, and mackerel. But some like to eat seabirds, and even plankton. And tiger sharks prefer turtles, while blue sharks enjoy squid. What they eat and what is available depends on where the sharks live. Different types of prey live in other parts of the ocean. Sharks adapt their diet to survive. That means that while they like to eat certain types of prey, they will eat something else if their favorite meal is unavailable. Sharks aren't picky. Some sharks have been known to consume oil, trash, and clothes that find their way into the ocean. Carnivorous sharks use multiple strategies to catch prey. Some shark species swallow their prey whole, and others tear off chunks in large bites. Thresher sharks stun their prey with their tail, and saw sharks twist their prey inside the sand. The sharks that live on the ocean floor ambush their prey, which means they surprise attack from a concealed position. Others use camouflage to hunt prey. Other interesting facts. All sharks have a sixth sense that helps them hone in on their prey. In addition, sharks have sense organs that can detect electric fields. They are called ampulla of Lorenzini and are found on a shark's snout. During the final phase of an attack, the shark can sense the electric fields emitted, given off, by animals in the surrounding water. Sharks constantly swim to keep from sinking like an anchor, which means they can't take off time to sleep. Instead, sharks have periods of activity or rest. When they are active, most sharks can swim 20 to 30 miles an hour. Most sharks live alone, but some, like the spiny dogfish, will form schools or groups. Why are they important to the environment? Just like other apex predators, sharks are important to the environment because they help keep the food chain in balance. They eat weak and sick fish, and their feeding can directly affect prey population numbers. Tiger sharks eat green turtles, which helps to ensure the turtles don't overgraze the grass. The demand for fins, overfishing, and human disturbance threaten shark populations. It is important not to eat shark fin soup and to know which fish species you purchase at the market. A quarter of the world's shark species are currently threatened with extinction, as over 100 million sharks are killed each year by fisheries alone. In addition, climate change is forcing sharks to move to waters they are not familiar with. Though climate change dramatically affects the shark habitat and behavior, commercial fishing remains the greatest threat to the shark population. We have just learned some super shark facts. Let's review. Choose the word the author would say best describes sharks. A. Defenseless B. Venomous C. Adaptable D. Distraught E. Prey C. Adaptable True or False? Most sharks are herbivores. False. What can a shark's sixth sense detect? It can detect electric fields given off by the shark's prey in the water. Excellent work, aquatic experts! Remember, if you like this lesson plan, you can find it and other cool lesson plans on our website, learnbright.org. and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.