A YouTuber named Carlos Gauna, who goes by TheMalibuArtist, might have recorded the first-ever video of a baby great white shark. Carlos is famous for using his drone to film sharks from above, giving us cool and up-close shots of these creatures. His videos often show great whites swimming really close to people, which can be super exciting. Last year, while filming near Santa Barbara, California, Carlos saw a small, white shark that looked like it could be albino. As he got closer with his drone, he noticed that the white layer on the shark seemed to be coming off, which made him think it might be a newborn. Shark researcher Phil Sternes, who was with Carlos at the time, was also really excited about this discovery. The shape of the shark's fins, which were rounder than usual, suggested that it could be a newborn. James Worthington from the University of San Diego estimated that the shark was about 1.5 meters long, which is normal for a newborn. Their findings were published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes. But some marine biologists are saying we should be careful before saying for sure that it's a baby great white shark. Dr. Chris Lowe from California State University's shark lab thinks there could be other reasons for the white layer, like a skin disease. He thinks we need more proof before we can say it's definitely a newborn. Even though some people are skeptical, Carlos and Phil believe that the evidence from the video, like the aggressive flaking, the shape of the fins, and the size of the shark, supports their idea. Drones have changed the way we film sharks, and they've given us a lot of cool information about how they behave. Carlos hopes that one day he'll be able to record the first-ever video of a great white shark being born.
Original news source: Has great white shark newborn been caught on film for the first time? (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article silently. Then, have them work together to create a summary of the article, including the main points and key details. Afterward, have each group share their summary with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following statement on the board: "Do you believe the video shows a baby great white shark?" Have the students stand up and move to one side of the room if they agree with the statement, and to the other side if they disagree. Once they have chosen their side, give them a few minutes to discuss their opinions in small groups, and then have a class discussion, allowing students to share their reasons for their opinions.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g., albino, aggressive, flaking). Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of vocabulary words. One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture representing that word, while their group members try to guess the word. Encourage students to use English to describe the word or ask questions if they are unsure.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign half of the groups to list the pros (positive aspects) of using drones to film sharks, and the other half to list the cons (negative aspects). Give the groups a few minutes to brainstorm and write down their ideas. Then, have each group share their list with the class and facilitate a discussion about the different perspectives.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students work individually or in pairs to write a short paragraph predicting what might happen if Carlos is able to record the first-ever video of a great white shark being born. Encourage them to use speculative language (e.g., "If Carlos records the video, it could lead to…"). Afterward, have students share their predictions with the class and discuss their ideas.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Carlos Gauna, also known as TheMalibuArtist, is a YouTuber who is famous for using his drone to film sharks from above.
Carlos noticed that the white layer on the shark seemed to be coming off, which made him think it might be a newborn.
Carlos and Phil thought the shark might be a newborn because the shape of its fins was rounder than usual, which is a characteristic of newborn sharks.
James Worthington estimated that the shark was about 1.5 meters long, which is normal for a newborn shark.
Some marine biologists were skeptical and thought that there could be other reasons for the white layer on the shark, such as a skin disease. They believed that more proof was needed before confirming that it was a newborn shark.
Drones have changed the way we film sharks by providing a new perspective from above. They allow for cool and up-close shots of sharks, giving us more information about their behavior.
Carlos hopes to one day record the first-ever video of a great white shark being born using his drone.
The findings of Carlos and Phil were published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A YouTuber named Gauna, who goes by TheMalibuArtist, might have recorded the first-ever video of a baby white . Carlos is famous for using his drone to film sharks from above, giving us cool and up-close shots of these creatures. His videos often show great whites swimming really close to people, which can be super exciting. Last year, while filming near Santa Barbara, , Carlos saw a small, white shark that looked like it could be . As he got closer with his drone, he noticed that the white layer on the shark seemed to be coming off, which made him think it might be a newborn. Shark researcher Phil Sternes, who was with Carlos at the time, was also really excited about this discovery. The shape of the shark's fins, which were rounder than , suggested that it could be a newborn. James Worthington from the of San Diego that the shark was about 1.5 meters long, which is normal for a newborn. Their findings were published in the Environmental of Fishes. But some biologists are saying we should be careful before saying for sure that it's a baby great white shark. Dr. Chris Lowe from California State University's shark lab thinks there could be other reasons for the white , like a skin disease. He thinks we need more proof before we can say it's definitely a newborn. Even though some people are skeptical, Carlos and Phil that the evidence from the , like the aggressive flaking, the shape of the fins, and the size of the shark, supports their idea. have changed the way we film sharks, and they've us a lot of cool information about how they behave. Carlos hopes that one day he'll be able to record the first-ever video of a great white shark being born.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think about the idea of using drones to film sharks?
2. How would you feel if you saw a great white shark swimming really close to you?
3. Do you think it's possible for a shark to be albino? Why or why not?
4. What other reasons do you think there could be for the white layer on the shark?
5. How do you think drones have changed the way we study and learn about sharks?
6. Do you think it's important to have more proof before saying for sure that it's a baby great white shark? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever seen a shark in person? If so, how did it make you feel?
8. Do you think it's possible to record the first-ever video of a great white shark being born? Why or why not?
9. What other animals do you think would be interesting to film with a drone? Why?
10. How do you think the discovery of a baby great white shark could help us learn more about these creatures?
11. Do you think it's important to study and protect sharks? Why or why not?
12. Have you ever seen a video or documentary about sharks? If so, what did you learn?
13. How do you think the shape of the shark's fins can help determine if it's a newborn or not?
14. Do you like watching videos or documentaries about animals? Why or why not?
15. What other animals do you think would be interesting to film from above with a drone? Why?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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