Celebrate the mighty prehistoric shark that once ruled the ancient oceans.
National Megalodon Day celebrates one of the largest predators to have ever lived. Today is the perfect time to dive into prehistoric adventures, creative writing, and fascinating shark facts.
The name Megalodon translates from Greek simply as "giant tooth".
by National Geographic Kids
Filled with exciting shark adventures, fascinating facts, and colorful illustrations, this collection makes it easy to learn about different shark species in bite-sized reading sessions. It’s a fun way to build excitement before imagining Earth’s most famous prehistoric shark.
You might try a traditional haiku, descriptive free verse, or another style of poetry that lets your words make a big splash!
Watch a short ocean documentary or kid-friendly video about sharks together. Afterwards, compare modern sharks with the enormous megalodon. Which shark surprised your family the most? Finish by sketching what you think a megalodon would look like swimming beside a great white shark!
π₯ Watch Together
Every adventure has another path to follow. Choose a trail and see where your curiosity leads!
Megalodon didnβt have identical teeth all the way around its mouth. Teeth from different positions had different shapes, and scientists can compare those shapes to figure out where a fossil tooth may once have fit in the sharkβs jaw.
Wonder Challenge:
If you found two megalodon teeth with different shapes, what clues would you look for to decide where each one belonged?
Sharks don’t keep one set of teeth for life. New teeth continually develop and move forward to replace teeth that become worn, broken, or lost.
Wonder Challenge:
Why might constantly replacing teeth be especially useful for a large ocean predator?
Megalodon teeth could reach about seven inches long, and scientists use measurements of fossil teeth to help estimate the size of the whole shark.
Wonder Challenge:
Measure seven inches with a ruler. What objects around your home are about the same size as a giant megalodon tooth?
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Every National Day is a starting point for curiosity! Read, write, play, and explore together as ordinary days lead to unexpected discoveries.
Follow curiosity, not the calendar. Choose the adventures that spark your interest and enjoy them whenever the time is right. β¨
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