In Sharks at Risk, Jean-Michel Cousteau and his dive team uncover the shocking story of the worldwide extermination of sharks and discover that sharks have more to fear from humans than we do from them. Long maligned as man-eaters, the precipitous decline of sharks impacts many other species in the food chain. When the shark population declines sharply, the results can be dramatic, upsetting the balance of the oceans and producing unintended consequences with effects that can reach around the globe. Cousteau and his team embark on two expeditions to dispel the myths that sharks are senseless man-eaters and that they are prevalent in the ocean. The first dives take place in French Polynesia, where the team observes gray reef and silvertip sharks. The team then travels to South Africa to swim with the great white shark.

Sharks at Risk Viewing Guide: Students have many preconceived notions about sharks. Use these activities to help to dispel the myths and lead students to an understanding of the importance of these top predators to our ocean ecosystems. Also included are Viewing Questions to engage students while they view the program, a collage activity to use as a follow-up assignment, clips recommended for classroom use and specially selected lesson plans developed by ocean experts.

Predator Protector Lesson: Students help sharks avoid dangers in the ocean and keep the ecosystem in balance in the Predator Protector Web game.

Sharks at Risk More Fun Adventures: Find out about the predators and their prey in your local ecosystem, make a comic book, or visit a dive shop. With these bonus activities you can extend the learning process beyond the classroom walls.

Because teachers don't have time to research additional materials, the Ocean Adventures education team has handpicked these lessons to complement Sharks at Risk:

• Shark Encounter (PDF): Tap into students' background knowledge and assumptions about sharks with this introductory activity.
• Fish Are Animals Too (PDF):Compare and contrast some of the different ecosystems in which sharks can be found around the world.
• How to Catch a Fish (PDF): Learn how various fishing methods measure up when it comes to their effects on shark populations.

Download Library: Download pictures of sharks as well as sounds from the ocean.

Educator Web Links: Expand your curriculum with recommendations from the Ocean Adventures education team.

All Ocean Adventures Educational Materials: View all of the lessons and activities Ocean Adventures has to offer.

PDF File Format
These Ocean Adventures lessons and other materials are available as printer-friendly PDFs (Portable Document Format). To download and view the lesson plans as a PDF, you may first have to get Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free on Adobe's Web site. The Reader is available for most computer platforms, and once downloaded the lessons may be viewed on-screen as well as printed out. Get Acrobat Reader software (at adobe.com)