Geography Quest: Shark Edition
Geography Quests are short, web adventures designed to help your students explore a variety of topics related to various areas of geography. There are many resources available for Shark Week and I thought it would be a great opportunity to give you a new Geography Quest. Geography Quest: Shark Edition.
Shark Week happens every year and is sponsored by The Discovery Channel. Are you studying the ocean or its creatures? Need a topic of focus because the summer is getting long?
Species of Shark & Their Distribution
Ever wonder where various shark species are found around the world? A simple web search revealed some great sites for answering this question. Do some research and choose information to represent on a map.
- Shark Foundation Shark Database– This site contains shark classification and distribution information. It has an interactive map to visually see the range. You can click on an area in the world and see a long list of shark species found there. Use this information to map several species of shark around the world.
- Shark Trust– Traveling around this website will lead you to a Shark Sighting Database where you can see where people have sighted sharks. This is a great site to learn more about shark morphology and sharks in the news. Take a look!
- Habitat & Distribution of Sharks– Learn about where sharks are found in the ocean. Are they surface dwellers? Deep swimmers? What conditions are best for sharks?
- Shark Attack Map– From surfertoday.com shows where shark attacks have happened. Would your student like to make a shark attack map of his own?
- Choose Some Information from Your Research to Make Your Own Map– Choose one species or several or choose an area of the world to map all the shark species found there.
Map Shark Migration
Do sharks remain in the same areas of the ocean at all times? Do they travel based on the weather? Time of year? Food needs? Read about shark migration and make a map. A lot of shark tracking is going on, but it is by species. I will list a few sites here for you.
- Ocearch Global Shark Tracker– This is cool! A real time shark tracker with pings you can follow from the website. Tagged sharks are followed and you can see shark movement.
- Tracking the Secret Lives of Great White Sharks– Article and information on how Great Whites are tracked and what they conclude from shark behavior.
- Secrets of Whale Shark Migration Revealed– A National Geographic article on the activity of whale sharks.
- Shark Swarming Season– From the National Wildlife Federation. An article about the largest shark migration in US Coastal waters.
Shark Week Resources
There is no shortage of hype around shark week! Here are some of my favorite picks from my searches.
- Discovery Channel Shark Week– The Discovery Channel has shark programming all week long including live chats.
- National Geographic SharkFest– Take a look at shark week events here.
- National Geographic for Kids- This website has a focus on various shark species including a range map.
- The Ultimate List of Shark Science Resources– all things shark science including a paper shark dissection.
Shark Art with Chalk Pastels
Tricia at Hodgepodge is releasing a new chalk pastels eBook for National Shark Week. Check the links below for a shark art video tutorial along with the new book.
How to Draw a Shark with Chalk Pastels– Nana does a nice little Great White Shark video tutorial with her chalks. We enjoyed this!
You’ll find 10 shark tutorials with instructions for how to draw them in chalks along with information about the shark species. There’s a paragraph or two with general facts at the start of each lesson and embedded in the art directions are more tidbits about the shark! I loved this!
Gear up for National Shark Week by gathering your art supplies and making sure you check out the Discovery Channel’s programming. Trim up some mapping skills by having your kids do some shark research and map out the distribution and migration of sharks. Have fun!
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This looks so fun Heather!! What a great study on sharks. I know some boys who would like to do this very soon 🙂
Thanks Meredith. I included the shark attack map specifically for some extra boy fun! ha
What a fabulous geography quest! I absolutely love your whale shark and your shark fin – gorgeous colors in the ocean. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Tricia! Another fun tutorial- thank YOU!
My youngest son is a shark fanatic. He will love these resources.
I hope he enjoys the quest. I did not realize how big of a deal shark week is. I know my kids want to tune in to the Discovery Channel next week!
My boys would love to learn to draw chalk pastel sharks! We enjoy shark week tremendously.