Shark U Week: Teacher's Lounge

Shark Rope Activity



  1. Make copies of the shark and diver card templates on cardstock.Each person will need seven shark cards and one diver card.
  2. Have the students cut the cards apart and punch a hole in the top left corner of each card.
  3. Review with the students the average lengths of the seven sharks listed on the shark list.Have them write the name of a shark and its average length on one of the shark cards.Repeat this step until all seven of the shark cards have been used and the diver card.
  4. Give each person a piece of rope and eight cable ties.
  5. The shark and diver cards will be attached to the rope with the cable ties.Before attaching them, the students will need to measure the correct length on the rope so that from the tip of the rope to the card equals the length of that shark.For the whale shark, have the students make a note that it is twice the length of the rope and attach it to the same spot as the great white shark.


  1. Have the students research their own shark species and find the average length.Use these lengths for the shark rope instead of the given list.Everyone’s rope will be different.
  2. Instead of using the average height for the diver, have the students measure each other and use their own height instead.How do they compare to the shark lengths?
  3. Give the average lengths of the sharks to the students in meters.Have them convert them into feet before putting them on the rope.

Shark Online Resources

Check out these curricula for hands-on activities that will help you learn more about sharks and their environments.

Great White Shark 3D

Still hungry for more?Check out The Florida Museum of Natural History’s website includes general information about sharks, an image gallery and links to additional websites.


S.O.S. – Save Our Sharks

Unfortunately, shark populations are declining in some parts of the ocean.These websites will shed some light on shark conservation and what you can do to help.

WildAid - www.wildaid.org/sharks
Shark Savers (a WildAid project) - www.sharksavers.org
Shark Trust – www.sharktrust.org