The Shark Trust has announced the launch of a new free educational resource, designed to help bring the fascinating world of sharks and rays into classrooms, youth groups and home education settings.
Sharks in Schools is a pre-recorded video lesson that explores shark and ray biology, ecology, the threats facing them, and tips for how youngsters can get involved in conservation.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils (ages 7 – 11), the 30-minute lesson supports UK curriculum topics and focusses on shark and ray species found in UK waters.
Alongside the recorded lesson, the pack includes digital posters, additional videos, and a range of ideas to encourage continued learning and participation in shark and ray conservation, such as how to get involved as a citizen scientist.
Teachers, home educators and youth group leaders – along with anyone else working with young people – can request the free digital resource pack through the Shark Trust website.
The Trust has created the resource as it regularly receives requests from schools and youth groups for educational talks and outreach activities, but is unable to fulfil every request due to its limited staff capacity.
The trust’s location in Plymouth, in the south west of the UK, also makes it difficult for staff to travel nationwide.
The Shark Trust says that Sharks in Schools – which is free to download and use – will enable it to reach out and engage audiences wherever they are based, to ensure more children can discover the world of sharks and rays.
The Shark Trust is a contributor to the Sea in Our School hands-on marine education programme delivered by the Ocean Conservation Trust for Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, which helps connect children in Plymouth with the local marine
environment.
The Sharks in Schools video lesson was created by Mark Stokes-Packer, who delivers school talks in Plymouth as part of the Shark Trust’s Community Engagement team, and Shark Trust Content Creator Louis Hogan, who has complemented the presentation with imagery, animations and interactive quizzes to help bring the topics to life.
The Shark Trust says the result is an ‘accessible, engaging lesson that aims to inform and inspire the next generation’.
‘I love delivering this lesson in schools and seeing how excited the children are to learn about sharks and rays – although so many of them already know so much,’ says Mark.
‘But by providing this lesson as a digital resource, we can share our love of sharks with so many more children around the UK. I’m really excited to hear what people think of it!’
What’s included in the Sharks in Schools resource pack:
- Shark anatomy poster
- A-Z of sharks and rays poster
- British Sharks poster
- Skate life cycle poster
- Eggcase ID guide
- Eggcase ID key
- Eggcase workbook
- Eggcase Champion Training Guide
- Speaking Up For The Ocean Toolkit
- Activity Sheets
- Additional Shark Shorts videos
The free Sharks in Schools lesson and accompanying additional resources are free to use and suitable for anyone working with or supporting young people – copies can be requested at: www.sharktrust.org/for/teachers.
More from the Shark Trust
- Blue shark snorkelling trip to be auctioned at Shark Trust event
- Shark Trust 2027 Calendar available for pre-order
- Ross Noble to headline Shark Trust’s For the Love of Sharks event
- Shark Trust podcast series 2 begins today
