Toby S. Daly-Engel

                             NSF GK-12 Program

Summer and Fall 2005

21st Century Learning distance education classes in shark biology and behavior

*Click here  to see the distance learning session I conducted in September 2005 for schools in Florida and Illinois

*Click here  to see the 27-minute shark video I made from Coconut Island in July!  (You need RealPlayer to watch this one...click here for the free download.)

February-March 2005:  

Studying sharks as away to understand evolution and ecology: St. Anthony's 7th Grade Science Class

As a guest in the 7th grade at St. Anthony’s School in Kailua, Oahu, I got to work with Ms. Marcia Clinton and her students to explore subjects like ecology, evolution,  and conservation using sharks as a model. 

Students have discussed the myths surrounding shark attack, and explored shark morphology and adaptation by first observing live sharks at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, and then creating their own original shark models out of recyclable materials. 

The bulk of the unit was spent studying shark evolution and ecology. Students explored what makes elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) different from other types of fish, and how they help keep the oceans healthy by exerting top-down control on the other trophic levels of the food web. Dr. Dean Grubbs of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology was our guest lecturer on elasmobranch evolution.

As a conclusion of our unit, students will gather data on public perception of sharks, and analyze their results to draw conclusions about how best to protect and conserve this important predator.

Photos by M. Clinton, J. Eble, and T. Daly-Engel