Shark Week 2025
The hammerhead shark is known for its unusual head shape, which looks like a hammer. This special shape helps the shark see better and find food like fish, stingrays, and even crabs hiding on the ocean floor. There are nine different species of hammerhead sharks, and the biggest one, the great hammerhead, can grow up to 20 feet long. Hammerhead sharks usually live in warm ocean waters and sometimes swim in groups, especially during the day. Even though they look a little scary, most hammerhead sharks are not dangerous to people. Sadly, some species are endangered because they are caught too often by fishing boats, especially for their fins.
About the Hammerhead
Myth: Sharks are mindless killing machines.
Truth:
Sharks are intelligent predators with complex behaviors. They use strategy, have sensory adaptations, and don’t attack randomly.
Sharks can have over 30,000 teeth in their lifetime!
FUN FACT
Their teeth fall out and grow back again and again, kind of like a conveyor belt!
Extension Activities
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What You Need: Construction paper, scissors, tape, markers.
Activity: Kids cut and tape paper to make wearable shark hats (with fins and teeth!).
Bonus: Great photo op and helps with fine motor skills. -
What role do sharks play in keeping the ocean ecosystem healthy?
What would happen if sharks weren’t around?
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Try drawing a great white shark! If you can’t remember what they look like, that’s ok! Find a photo of a great white and use it as a reference!
Share with us!
Share with us!
We’d love to hear what you thought about this lesson! If you tried one of the extension activities or created a shark drawing, feel free to share it with us in our Facebook group. Thanks for joining us for this bite-sized shark adventure—we hope you had fun! 🦈