Shark’sBuoyancy

Connectingkidsandanimals,strengtheningfamilies,andinspiringpeopletocare.

HowDoesaSharkStayAfloat?Practiceyourstudents’observationskillswhiletheylearnabouttheFortWayneChildren’sZoosharksandtheirbuoyancy.Buoyancyistheanimal’sabilitytofloatinthewater,especiallyintheocean.Seebelowforavarietyofquestionstoengageyourstudentsevenfurther:

Howdoyouthinksharksmaintainbuoyancyintheocean? Howdoyoustayafloatinthewater? Canyoudescribehowtheynormallyswim? Dotheyhavetoswimallday,everyday,orcantheytakeabreak?Why?

Mostbonyfishhaveaswimbladder,aninternalorganthatcanbefilledwithgastohelpthefishfloatwithoutswimming.Unfortunately,sharksdonothaveaswimbladder,buttheyhaveuniqueadaptationstosurviveintheoceans.Beonthelookoutforthesharksatthezoo!ShareyourlessonswiththeFortWayneChildren’Zoo.Tag#fwkidszoooremaileducation@kidszoo.orgtoexpresshowyouusedthesesupplementalactivities!

Experiment:FilltheZiplocbagwithoilandtheotheronewithwater.Encouragekidstodrawsharkjawsonthesharkcutoutasthelargecontainer/binisfilledwithwater.TheZiplocbagfilledwithoilrepresentstheoilinsidethesharkliver.Askthem,doyouthinkthissharkwillsinkorfloat?Takeresponses.PlacetheZiplocbagfilledwithoilinthecontainerandwatchwhathappens.TheZiplocbagfilledwithwaterrepresentswhatwillhappeniftheydon’thaveoilintheshark’sliver.Willthissharksinkorstayafloatinthewater?Takeresponses.Withouttheoilintheirlivers,thesharkswillsinktothebottomoftheocean!Oilismuchlighterthanwater,whichiswhyitwasafloatwhilethewatersunk.Sharksmainlyrelyontheirlargeoil-filledlivertostaybuoyantintheoceans.Thisisoneofmanywaysthatsharksareabletoremainbuoyantinthewaterwithoutaswimbladder.Whatareotherwaysdoyouthinkashark’sbodyhelpswithbuoyancy.Takeresponses.

Theirbodiesaremadeofcartilage,notbones.Cartilageisatypeofconnectivetissuethatisstrongenoughtogivesupport,butitismuchlighter,whichhelpsthesharkremainafloat.Wehavecartilagetoo!Itisfoundinourearsandnose.

Thesidefinsorknownaspectoralfins,moveinawing-likemotiontoswimupanddown,whilethetailfin(caudalfin)helpsthesharkpropelforwardintheocean.Theycanonlymoveforward,sotheycannotswimbackward!Iftheystopswimming,theycanslowlysinktothebottomofthesea,sotheirfinsandtailplayanimportantroleinmaintainingtheshark’sbuoyancy.

PROGRAMGOALS

LearnabouthowsharksareabletostayafloatinthewaterDiscusstheiradaptationsinocean

GRADESKto3rdMATERIALS

2smallZiplocbagsSharkcutoutCookingoilWaterLargecontainerfilledwithwaterSharpiesOptional:Plasticshark

RECOMMENDEDASSESSMENT

Assessstudentsonappropriatenessofwordsusedtodescribeshark

Shark’sBuoyancy

Connectingkidsandanimals,strengtheningfamilies,andinspiringpeopletocare.