articles

Did You Know? 5 Shark-Themed Things for Kids to Learn this Week

August 6, 2022

How much doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo you know about sharks?

Since its conception in 1988, Shark Week has become a much-anticipated weeklong celebration of the earth's most fascinating aquatic creatures. Now the longest-running cable television program event in history, Discovery Channel's Shark Week features adrenaline-inducing entertainment including educational documentaries and exclusive video footage.

Below are five more shark-themed things to teach your kids this week.


1. A silly joke.

I'm hooked on this fincredible shark joke:

How did the hammerhead shark do on his test? He nailed it!


2. A new vocabulary word.

What creature is bigger than a great white shark and more ferocious than a Tyrannosaurus rex? The megalodon!

A megalodon is an extinct shark regarded as the largest and most powerful creature to have ever lived. Its scientific name, Otodus megalodon, means "giant tooth." Full-size megalodons are estimated to have reached more than 50 feet in length which is three times the size of the largest recorded great white shark. Learn more fun facts about megalodons from Live Science.

Recognize the name "Megalodon?" Making its competitive debut in 2017, Megalodon joined the Monster Jam® team and quickly became a fan-favorite monster truck.


3. A word puzzle.

To solve a rebus, consider not just the words, but the placement, size, color, and quantity of everything within the box (and sometimes just outside the box!) when trying to decipher the puzzle. 


4. A fun fact.

An adult human has 206 bones. How does that number stack up against sharks?

Though sharks are classified as vertebrates (animals with backbones), they don't actually have any bones at all! A shark's skeleton is made up of cartilage which is flexible, lightweight, and durable, helping these aquatic creatures to swim faster and twist more easily through the water.

Want to learn more about sharks? Check out these 50 shocking facts about sharks.


5. Teach a personal discovery.

Can you outswim a shark?

Though sharks most often cruise at 1.5 miles per hour, they can swim between 25-35mph in short bursts which would be incredibly difficult to outpace. For the sake of comparison, the speed of the fastest Olympic swimmer is approximately 5 mph. But don't worry! The likelihood of a shark chasing after you is extremely low. According to Petpeida, you're more likely to die by selfie than by shark attack.


"You can't study to be an entrepreneur. Sometimes, you just have to jump. " – Barbara Corcoran, Shark Tank.

Did you learn something new? Now's the time to pass that knowledge on! Be sure to come back next week for another five FUN things to teach your kids.