Free Shark Lesson Plan: Video, Slides, Comprehension Worksheets (K-6)

Need an easy shark lesson that combines science, reading, and listening skills?

This free Shark lesson pairs a kid-friendly video and PDF slides with printable comprehension worksheets designed for two different age groups. Just press play, watch together, and complete the matching worksheet.

It’s a low-prep activity that’s perfect for homeschool, ESY (Extended School Year), summer camp, classroom enrichment, or simply celebrating Shark Week at home.

Scroll down to see the video. If the slides go too fast for you, just hit pause while you discuss it with the kids. I also have the slides down below if you wish to present at your own pace, but some of the shark videos embedded may not work. Please note: This post includes 1 video, 2 PDF slideshows about sharks, and 2 different worksheets about sharks.

Shark Lesson Plan

Looking for a simple Shark lesson plan for shark week or the school year? This activity combines science, listening comprehension, reading, and discussion into one easy lesson that’s perfect for homeschool, elementary classrooms, ESY programs, libraries, or summer camps.

Students watch a kid-friendly Shark video, complete an age-appropriate comprehension worksheet, and extend their learning through discussion or additional shark research.

Shark Lesson Plan

Grade Levels

• Kindergarten-2nd Grade
• Grades 3-6 (with the upper elementary worksheet)

Subject Areas

• Science
• Reading Comprehension
• Listening Skills
• Writing

Time Needed
30-45 minutes

Materials

• Shark Week video
• Printable comprehension worksheet
• Pencil or crayons
• Optional: nonfiction shark books or internet access for additional research

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify facts about sharks and their habitats.
• Recall key information from a nonfiction video.
• Answer comprehension questions using evidence from the lesson.
• Practice science vocabulary related to marine life.
• Share one or more interesting facts they learned about sharks.

Lesson Procedure

1. Introduce the Topic (5 minutes)

Ask students what they already know about sharks. Create a simple KWL chart (Know, Want to Know, Learned) or list shark facts on a whiteboard.

2. Watch the Video (10-15 minutes)

Play the Shark Week video lesson. Encourage students to listen for interesting facts about shark habitats, diets, behaviors, and different shark species.

3. Complete the Worksheet (10-15 minutes)

Students complete the comprehension worksheet that matches their grade level.

• Kindergarten-2nd Grade: Complete simple comprehension questions together or independently.
• Grades 3-6: Answer more detailed questions using information from the video.

4. Discuss (5-10 minutes)

Review the answers together and ask extension questions such as:

• Which shark surprised you the most?
• What new fact did you learn today?
• Why are sharks important to ocean ecosystems?

Extension Activities

If you’d like to expand the lesson, students can:

• Research a favorite shark species.
• Create a shark fact poster.
• Write three interesting facts about sharks.
• Draw and label the parts of a shark.
• Complete a Shark Week journal page.
• Read a nonfiction book about sharks.
• Compare sharks with other ocean animals, such as whales or dolphins.

This lesson can easily stand alone or become part of a larger ocean animals or marine biology unit during Shark Week.

Shark Lesson Video

Shark Lesson Slides

What’s Included?

You’ll receive two printable comprehension worksheets:

• Kindergarten-2nd Grade – Simple questions with age-appropriate vocabulary and space for short answers or drawings.
• Grades 3-6 – More detailed comprehension questions that encourage students to recall information, make connections, and think critically about what they learned.

Both worksheets are designed to be used alongside the included Shark Week video lessons.

Shark Worksheet K-2

Shark Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This worksheet has the answer key included.

Who Is This For?

These Shark Week activities are great for:

• Homeschool families
• ESY programs
• Summer learning
• Elementary classrooms
• Science centers
• Libraries
• Summer camps
• Ocean unit studies

Whether you’re teaching one child or a group of students, these worksheets make it easy to add meaningful learning to Shark Week.

Skills Students Practice

While learning all about sharks, students also practice important academic skills, including:

• Listening comprehension
• Reading comprehension
• Following directions
• Critical thinking
• Recall and sequencing
• Science vocabulary
• Writing complete sentences (older students)

How to Use These Shark Week Worksheets

There are plenty of ways to use this activity:

• Watch the video as a whole-group lesson.
• Pause throughout the video to discuss new facts.
• Complete the worksheet independently or together.
• Use it as a science center activity.
• Add it to your ocean or marine biology unit.
• Send it home as a fun summer learning activity.

Older students can also research additional shark facts after watching the video and compare what they learned from other sources.

Why Shark Week?

Shark Week is one of the easiest ways to get kids excited about science. Sharks naturally capture children’s curiosity, making them a perfect topic for building reading, listening, and critical thinking skills.

Instead of another worksheet that feels like schoolwork, students get to learn about amazing ocean animals while practicing important academic skills.