Putting Tags on the Fast Shark: teacher key

Mako Sharks, grade 5 edition, written for 5th grade. Two makos wore speed tags in a 2023 study. See what the tags measured, and where other tagged makos went.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What did the tags on two makos measure?
   • Their weight
   • Their age
   • Their swimming speed (answer)
2. What was the mako's average cruising speed in the 2023 study?
   • 0.90 metres per second (answer)
   • 90 metres per second
   • 9 metres per second
3. Which mako made the fastest burst the tags recorded?
   • A pup
   • A female 2 metres long (answer)
   • A male 5 metres long
4. Why do scientists put tags on sharks?
   • To make them sleep
   • To make them bigger
   • To measure what the sharks do in the sea (answer)
5. Where did tagged makos come back to each year?
   • Waters off Southern California (answer)
   • A lake in Peru
   • A river in Africa

Words

• tags: tracking devices
• burst: quick sprint
• cruising: steady swimming
• nursery: place for young