Have sharks made their way onto your list of Pre-K lesson plan topics? Has it left you seriously searching for several stories about the toothy predators to factor into your plans? If so, you may want to consider asking your local librarian to help you obtain one of the following books:
“Hark! A Shark!: All About Sharks”
If you are looking for a book to use as a lesson plan opener, I’d suggest giving Bonnie Worth’s “Hark! A Shark!: All About Sharks” a try. It has all of the elements that you would expect from a Cat in the Hat affiliated book, including a substantial amount of basic information about sharks. Topics touched upon in the text include the diversity of the species and the creature’s remarkable, physical attributes.
“Sharkabet: A Sea of Sharks from A to Z”
Speaking of which, Ray M. Troll’s book “Sharkabet: A Sea of Sharks from A to Z” will also give the children a glimpse of the depth and breadth of the shark family. Its second greatest feature is that its alphabet based. Therefore, you could reasonably factor it into a lesson plan in several ways. For example, you could let the children draw their own alphabet shark books or practice writing the names of their favorite sharks. You could also ask them to pick a favorite shark and tally their answers as part of a math activity. The choice is yours.
“Sharks: Biggest! Littlest!”
Sandra Markle’s book “Sharks: Biggest! Littlest!” would make a great read as well. As you can tell from its title, the author breaks a group of sharks up into categories based on size. Therefore, you could use it to discuss opposites and kick off math related activities. What the title doesn’t reveal is that the book also contains a respectable amount of scientific information and photographs. Thus, you could use it for other classroom activities too.
“Scholastic Q & A: What Do Sharks Eat for Dinner?”
I would also suggest picking up a copy of Melvin Berger’s book “Scholastic Q & A: What Do Sharks Eat for Dinner?” Like the title indicates, the text is broken up into segments. In my opinion, that’s what makes it wonderful for Pre-K classroom use. For instance, you could read a few segments about sharks’ teeth while letting the children examine a handful of real sharks’ teeth. You can typically purchase those by the case through specialty stores and select craft retailers. Afterward, you could put the book down and seamlessly move on to another activity.
“Megatooth”
Patrick O’Brien’s book “Megatooth” would be a good one to read to the kids, especially if you want to introduce some history into your lesson plan. Its storyline focuses on megalodon. As such, you may want to consider pairing it with Caroline Arnold’s tome “Giant Shark: Megalodon, the Super Prehistoric Predator” and Janet Riehecky “Megalodon.” Of the two, Arnold’s book is geared towards older children. However, it features awesome visuals that younger children will undoubtedly appreciate.
Source: Personal Experience
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