Shark Unit with Free Printables

Dinomite is obsessed with sharks right now.  I decided to use that to my advantage, following the child and create some shark themed learning activities and printables.

Even more exciting is that Shark Week on Discovery Channel is here!  Besides activities on the shelves Dinomite and I will be enjoying the week's line up of shark shows.  Bulldozer has decided to join us as well.

Between activities and our shelves and new episodes on the Discovery Channel, we will have a fantastic Shark Unit with so many new free printables!

Here's what's on our shelves!

Language

Cursive Letter Sand Tray

 The kiddos continue to learn their cursive letters. This is our second set of four.  I'm so pleased with how quickly Dinomite and Princess are picking it up.  Bulldozer prefers print at this point, which is okay.  He just barely learned how to write all of his letters.

Source.  The free printable cards for this activity can be found at 3 Dinosaurs.

Painting Spelling Words

 The kiddos will write their spelling words using the paint and paintbrush provided.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Language Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Noun & Verb Sorting

 The kiddos will sort shark themed nouns and verbs using the Montesori Grammar Symbols.  As a control, I have added the word "to" before every verb.  This seems to help the kiddos understand that the word is an action.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Language Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Math

Shark Food Addition

 How many different types of animals do sharks eat?  How many animals has this shark eaten today?  The kiddos will add up the appetizing animals to find the answer to the addition problems. They will use blue glass beads as markers for their answers.   The animals shown are those that many different types of sharks eat.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Math Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Skip Counting by 5, 7 & 9

 I am so excited to use my Montessori Beads for this activity.  Mind you, they're homemade.  The kiddos will skip count using the beads as a control, as they put the numbers in order.  They can choose to count by 5s, 7s, and/or 9s.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Math Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Culture & Science

Water Forms

 Just where do sharks swim? Which sharks prefer which types of water?  Do they stay close to land? Do they prefer to be in deep waters? Fresh water? Salt Water? There are so many questions to answer this week as we read, watch, and study sharks!

We have used the water form cards and felt designs before, but this week I made cards with pictures of real life water forms, so the kiddos could see what they look like.

 Source:  I created the photo printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Culture & Science Printable Pack 1.  This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow directions at the bottom of this post.

The water form diagram printable is from Montessori Mom.

36 Shark Cards

I was aiming for our usual 50 card pack, however finding clear pictures of so many different sharks underwater proved more difficult than I thought.  Then there was the fact that so many sharks look almost identical to each other.

 Source:  I created the photo printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Culture & Science Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

3 Ocean Food Chains

As always, when we cover an animal unit, especially one dealing with a deadly predator, it's a challenge to teach Dinomite something he doesn't already know.  I must give Jason full credit for this one. It was his idea.  He did all of the research AND made the cards.  All of the kiddos have enjoyed learning about food chains, especially when they learn about sharks eating sharks.  I like the activity because it focuses on sharks in their world, not the world of attacking people that is portrayed so much.

Source:  Jason created the printable for this activity as part of the Shark Unit Culture & Science Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  See directions at the bottom of this post on how to access your free copy.

Shark Anatomy

The kiddos have moved beyond the basic shark anatomy of head, trunk, tail, fin, etc.  When I found this diagram, I loved the extra detail.  However, placing all the tiny labels seemed a little daunting.  Instead the kiddos will put the diagram together like a puzzle, which will require them to look at the body part labels at the same time.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Shark Unit Culture & Science Printable Pack 1. This is a subscriber's only freebie.  For your free copy, follow directions at the bottom of this post.

Visual Arts

How to Draw a Hammerhead Shark

The kiddos will practice drawing a hammerhead shark using the white board, erasable crayons, and step by step cards provided.  Dinomite and Princess did an amazing job with this today!

Dinomite's drawing.

Princess' drawing.

 Source: The drawing cards for this activity came from How to Draw Animals.

Practical Life/Sensorial

Cutting Activity

The kiddos are moving up in the world of cutting.  They can test out their skills using any one of these designs.

Source:  The free printables for this activity came from Montessori Nature and Ang at Home.

Pouring Water

The kiddos will practice pouring water into four glasses.  A funnel is provided if needed.

Transferring Water Beads

The kiddos will use the spoon to transfer water beads from one bowl to the other.

Shark Invitation to Play

The kiddos will enjoy a hands on experience that includes sharks, their prey, and so much more.

For those interested in the free printables, follow the directions below:

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

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6. Click on link and type in password. (The password is cap sensitive.)

7. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and viola!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

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For those who are looking for more shark activities, printables and resources, be sure to check out the posts below.