Subject(s): Health & Safety, Ecology
Duration: 45 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn some of the implications of eating sharks and the shark trade. Although aimed at students living in Asia, this activity can be adapted by teachers worldwide.

Goals: To educate students on sharks and the shark trade. To encourage an ethic of conservation.

1. Students will have a greater understanding of sharks, their habitats and the threat to their survival.
2. Students will be able to identify previous conservation campaigns.
3. Students will be able to identify previous/current animal extinctions and what that means for society.

• Teacher-made fact sheet that contains information about and pictures of sharks.

Procedure:  
Begin by drawing a bowl of sharks fin soup on the board and asking students, "what is this ?" If they can't identify the sketch, give them hints. When they've identified this as a bowl of shark fin soup, ask, "who normally eats this?" Then ask, "what else do you know about shark fin soup?" The ensuing discussion will elicit points about shark fin soup.

Now leave students for 2 minutes to write down everything they know about sharks, be it for shark fin soup, sharks in general, the movie Jaws or anything else . After this, get students feedback and points.

Typically, someone will point out that fishing sharks is cruel but traditional. If no one brings this up, bring it up and explore how sharks are caught (with longlines, where fishermen slice off the fins and throw away the rest of the carcass).

Next, point out that some companies, cities and countries have banned shark fin fishing and serving shark fin soup (e.g. Hong Kong Disney).

Discuss cultural traditions that have changed. If old enough, students may provide examples, but you can't elicit examples, point out that slavery, women's rights to vote, apartheid and more are examples. Follow this with a discussion over what the difference is with ending what people eat or wear. Mention that one difference is that in the previous examples, people were struggling for their own group (e.g. women were struggling for greater equality) but sharks and other animals cannot.

Discuss the extinction of the dodo, and what it means for today's societies.

Discuss the fact that some 100 million sharks are killed per year, enough to change the balance of the oceans, and lead a discussion over the health of the oceans, the danger to sharks and more.

Let each read a line out loud of facts and statistics from the fact sheet.

Assessment: Observe students' participation during group discussions. Collect students' written reports and check for appropriateness and effort.

Supporting links:

        + SR Top-10
        + IUCN Report
        + WWF-HK Brochure
        + Sharkwater