Lesson Plan - Predator and Prey

Watch a Video: What You Need to Know About Sharks
Discuss: Why are sharks important to their ecosystems?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• reputation
• depleted

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about some threats that humans pose to sharks. 

1. Why do you think the author chose the title “Predator and Prey” for this article?
Sample response: The author probably chose this title to make people think. Many people would consider sharks to be the predators and people to be the prey. But after reading the facts in the article, it is clear that the reverse is in many ways true.
^{R.1 Inference}

2. According to the article, why do many people fear sharks? 
Many people fear sharks because they think of one shark species—the great white shark. This fierce predator is just one out of more than 500 shark species.
^{R.5 Cause and Effect}

3. How does the author support the claim that the loss of sharks is bad for oceans?
The author explains that large sharks eat other fish and large marine creatures, keeping those populations under control. Sharks also keep other ocean species healthy by preying on sick or weak animals.
^{R.8 Reasons and Evidence}

FEATURED SKILL: Write a Summary
Use the Skill Builder “Be a Summary Superstar” to have students write a summary of the article.