Clark the Shark By Bruce Hale

Clark the Shark by Bruce HaleThis week is National Marine week! What better way to open discussion about our marine and coastal environment than with Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale (ISBN: 9780062192264)!

Clark the Shark loves his life… school is awesome, lunchtime is sweet, and recess rocks! But Clark is a little too much for his friends to handle, and eventually they don’t want to eat lunch with him anymore, or sit with him during circle time, and they avoid playing with him during break. Mrs Inkydink has to help him find a way to tone it down a little, but it’s not easy at first! Will Clark learn to be mindful? Will he learn to manage his impulsive behaviour? What will he do when the new kid squashes the slide and snaps of the swings? Will he be able to help Sid control himself?

Learning about self-control is a valuable life lesson, and that is what the Foundation Phase students at Thorntree Prep learned about today during our Book Club Hour. The kids realized that we all have habits that annoy others at times, and that mindfulness and managing impulsive behaviour (Habits of Mind #2 – Thinking before acting, remaining calm, thoughtful and deliberative – acting and not reacting!) help us build healthy relationships with the people around us.

We had an interesting discussion about marine life, and specifically about Great White Sharks (since Clark is a Great White Shark!). The kids were amazed to find out

  • why the sea is salty
  • that there are around 440 species of shark
  • a Great White shark female is about 4.5-6.4m long
  • Great Whites have over 300 teeth
  • Great Whites roll their eyes into the back of their heads to protect their eyes
  • sharks in fact do have ears
  • they can smell one drop of blood in 100litres of water
  • Great Whites have to keep moving to breathe, even while they “sleep”
  • Great Whites don’t have bones but cartilage, and that cartilage helps it float

The kids also learned how the illustrations help the reader understand what is happening in the story.

Why is National Marine Week a thing? It is to create awareness and highlight the importance of our marine and coastal environment, “about the role our oceans play in our daily lives; and promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the environment and its resources”.

How did you make a difference this week?

 

 
 
 
 

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