Shark science and fisheries
Ocean life
Three free lessons for ages 14 to 18
The older edition of our shark lessons, focused on fisheries science. Students model why slow-breeding sharks collapse under fishing that fast-growing fish can withstand, interpret two major global studies, and write a policy brief.
- Ages
- 14 to 18
- Time
- About an hour per lesson
- Subjects
- Biology, maths and social studies
- Hands-on
- A population model, evidence cards and a policy brief with a rubric
-
Lesson 1: Built to be slow
Shark life history, population growth rates, and a simple model showing why sharks collapse under fishing pressure that fast-growing fish can withstand.
- Ages
- 14 to 18 (grades 9 to 12)
- Time
- 60 minutes
- You need
- Calculators and one worksheet per student
-
Lesson 2: Counting the catch
Interpret two major global studies of shark declines and fishing mortality, and evaluate which policies work.
- Ages
- 14 to 18 (grades 9 to 12)
- Time
- 60 minutes
- You need
- The evidence cards sheet
-
Lesson 3: Write a policy brief
Write and peer-review a one-page policy brief recommending shark protection measures, using the evidence from lessons 1 and 2.
- Ages
- 14 to 18 (grades 9 to 12)
- Time
- 60 to 75 minutes
- You need
- One planner and rubric per group, notes from lessons 1 and 2
You might also like
Get new lessons by email
We add lessons every term. Join our newsletter to hear about them first, or browse all our free lessons.
Bring your students to the reef
We host school groups at our base in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, for diving or snorkelling, beach clean-ups and tree planting alongside our conservation team. Every visit follows our child protection policy.