Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!
Mother of Sharks Lesson
Provided by: ECCLPs and UCI: Science Project
Cultivates 21st Century SkillsWorksheets Grades 3-5, k-2
Synopsis
This activity kit guides students through a 4-day reading of the book “Mother of Sharks” by Melissa Cristina Márquez, with accompanying worksheets to help students learn more about sharks, see the effects of ghost gear in the ocean, and act as ocean scientists. Students will draw, play games, answer questions, and explore artifacts to learn about marine life, shark conservation, and climate change.
Share: This lesson plan is licensed under Creative Commons.
Subjects: SCI, ELA
Authors: ECCLPs, UCI Science Project
Region: Global, Puerto Rico
Key Focus Areas
Core Component 1: Hands-On Exploration and Inquiry-Based Learning
The activities that go with the reading provide students with hands-on exploration of marine life. For example, on Day 1, students will make observations of hermit crab shells and describe them, and on Day 3, students will make observations of a shark tooth and write questions they may be curious about.
Core Component 2: Building Emotional Strength for Climate Advocacy
The lesson ends with an activity where students visualize and draw themselves as an ocean scientist. This helps students see themselves as a powerful and important piece of marine advocacy and look to their future in protecting the environment.
Core Component 3: Environmental Literacy and Civic Engagement
The young girl in the reading realizes her calling to be a shark scientist and protect ocean life from human activity. Inspired by this, students will create posters to inform others about sharks and how things like ghost gear, or discarded fishing gear impact them and the marine ecosystem.
This lesson also leans into the ideas of:
Details
- This lesson is designed for students to follow along with a copy of the book “Mother of Sharks” by Melissa Cristina Márquez. The student sheets reference sticky notes placed at various points in the book. Teachers will need to put green, pink, yellow, and blue sticky notes on the pages indicated in the lesson.
- If teachers do not have a copy of the book, they can use a read-aloud video and give students time stamps instead of using the post-its, if they are working independently.
- If teachers have only one copy of the book, they can combine this book with a few others and have a group of students complete the activities together, or they can do the activities as a whole class.
- The activities require a few unique materials, such as a net, hermit crab shells, and shark teeth. Teachers who do not have access to teeth or shells can print pictures instead and omit the directions for students to describe how they feel.
- These resources have been carefully selected and reviewed by ECCLPs. Please note that they have not undergone SubjectToClimate's independent review process.
Teaching Tips
Standards
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