Introduction

Sharks!

They shock, terrify, and startle us, yet no other creatures have the power to capture our imaginations in such a dramatic way.

In this WebQuest, fourth graders will research sharks using books, the internet, and the program, "Inspiration," and then will create a shark commercial for Sea World.
 

Due to a recent shark attack  in the Atlantic Ocean, fearful visitors to Sea World no longer want to visit the Shark Exhibits.  You and your partner have been hired by Sea World to create a commercial to encourage more visitors to the park to see the Shark Exhibits. Your job is to increase attendance to the park by sharing your knowledge of sharks, while ensuring the families that visit Sea World that they will be safe around these bloodthirsty animals.
 

Be careful, you are in shark infested waters!

This site is a good overview of sharks and their features:
Shark facts
 

Take this quiz to test your knowledge of sharks:
National Geographic Shark Surfari!
 

This site is a Think Quest site and has a good way to search for shark information:
The Truth About Sharks
 

This site has icons to click on at the bottom of the page to learn more about sharks:
ZooBooks
 

This site will answer all your questions about sharks:
Shark School
 

This site has background information and good pictures of sharks:
Island of the Sharks
 

Click on a shark and get details about that shark:
The Shark Tank
 

Click on an image to see if it is true or false:
Shark Myths

The Process 
Chompin' to Get Started!

First, Read the story "Sharks" by Seymour Simon.  Add information that you learn to the Shark Cluster Map that you create using "Inspiration" software.
(See a  copy of the map  template to create with "Inspiration" to begin your Shark Cluster Map)

Use the Internet Resources to learn additional facts about sharks. Record this information on the Shark Cluster Map.

Decide which facts are important for you to share in your commercial.

Make it exciting and fun to watch with a lot of good information that will encourage visitors to visit the Shark Exhibits at Sea World.

Practice your commercial until you can perform it perfectly.  The final version of your commercial will be videotaped so you can showcase your work for other classes.

You will be evaluated on the following:

Your level of cooperation and participation.

The quality of information gathered from your research.

The neatness, completeness, and quality of your project; including the Shark Cluster Map and your taped commercial.

Your successful commercial will hopefully encourage families to visit the Shark Exhibits at Sea World and will provide useful information about sharks.  If you are successful, Sea World will likely employ you in the future!  For now, enjoy your swim in the ocean while watching out for those magnificent beasts!

Just for FUN, try these websites when you finish your commercial: