Shark Length
Virginia Science SOL’s: 2.1 4.1, 4.5, 5.1, 6.1
Concepts:
1. Shark length can be estimated by measuring the enamel of their tooth.
2. Shark teeth vary from one shark to another.
3. Teeth are arranged in multiple rows along the border of the jaw.
Materials:
1. Tooth measuring activity sheet
2. Tooth graphing sheet
3. Rulers
4. Pencils
Directions:
1. Have each child complete the tooth measuring activity sheet. Measure the enamel height in inches. To get
the estimated shark length, multiply the height of the tooth enamel by 10. This will give you an estimate of how
long the shark is in feet.
2. Next have each child plot the points on the graph for each shark. The x-axis represents the length of the
shark in feet. The y-axis represents the height of the tooth enamel in inches. Have the children drawn lines
connecting the points to show the relationship between the length of the shark and the size of the tooth.
Explanation:
1. Sharks can be big or small as full growth.
2. The largest shark in the ocean is the whale shark measuring 50 feet in length.
3. The smallest shark in the ocean is the pygmy shark measuring 6 inches in length.
© 2007 Nauticus