‘Is the shark’s reputation as a killer truly justified?’

1. Argumentative Writing ‘Is the shark’s reputation as a killer truly justified?’

2. Write a magazine article on the following:‘Is the shark’s reputation as a killer truly justified?’ (You may use headings, sub headings and illustrations after your article is written.) Use the following to help you: • The shark file • The writing frame • The word-bank on linking words • The notes you made in your groups

3. Getting Started on Writing • Stage 1 - Make notes using resources • Stage 2 - Develop ideas from notes onto the writing frame • Stage 3 – Write out first draft

4. ‘Honeymoon Surfer is Eaten by a Shark’Melbourne September 25, 2000 • Bride Tina Bayes watched in horror as husband Cameron was killed by a 12 foot shark • Attack occurred off remote Cactus Beach – an area notorious for great whites • Great whites are common off Cactus Beach – they feed off several seal colonies about 2 miles from shore • They follow schools of salmon closer to the beach • Cameron Hayes was the first surfer to die at the beach although a local boy bled to death in 1975 after a shark bit off his leg. • Cactus Beach is a wonderful surfing area but one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world

5. ‘All Kinds of Shark’ • There are more than 350 different kinds of shark • New species of shark are still being identified • Sharks have skeletons of cartilage instead of bone – sometimes referred to as cartilaginous fish • Sharks seem to have an extra sense which allows them to detect movement in their surroundings – helps them locate their prey • Of the 350 sharks very few are known to be or even thought to be man-eaters • Half of all sharks only grow to a maximum of 1 metre in length • Only one eighth of sharks grow longer than 2 metres • The sharks which have been known to attack humans most commonly belong to the group known as carcharhinidae – also known as requiem sharks • The blue shark, white tip reef shark, gray reef shark & tiger shark all belong to this group • The largest & most ferocious of all sharks – great white – belongs to a group called the mackerel sharks

6. ‘Some Well Known Sharks’ • Lemon Shark - warm water of Atlantic Ocean - grows to more than 3 metres - dangerous if provoked • Hammerhead Shark - curious looking - eyes & nostrils set on lobes at each end of its head - live in warm temperate waters - usually live in schools & swim altogether • Blacktip Reef - black tips on fins - under 5 feet in length - not dangerous - found in Red Sea, Indian & Pacific Ocean • Nurse Shark - lives at the bottom of the sea - can measure up to 4 metres • Gray Reef Shark - lives in Red Sea, Indian & Pacific Oceans - dangerous – especially those found in the Pacific • Sand Tiger Shark - found in shallow waters of Atlantic & Mediterranean - grows to about 3 metres - not dangerous • Leopard Shark - grows up to 2 metres - named after is leopard like markings which help it blend in with its surroundings

7. ‘Shark Senses’ • Smell & Taste - sharp sense of smell - smell is very important in engaging a shark’s instinct to attack - taste is also well developed but only used to decide whether to eat or abandon something already bitten • Hearing - very sensitive to low pitched vibrations such a struggling fish or human • Touch & Super Touch - well developed sense of touch - also has well developed sense in between touch & hearing - Can pick up minute pressure changes in the water & the size & direction of another fish (or human) - Sophisticated feedback system prevents the shark’s own movements from interfering with the signal they receive - Therefore shark can detect prey even at a great distance • Vision - sharks do not see very well - Most sharks do not have moveable eyelids - Great white does have membrane which protects its eyes during attacks • The Seventh Sense - Electromagnetic sense - so sensitive that sharks do not need to see at all - able to detect minor voltage changes in surroundings - sharks use this sense like a compass – helps them to navigate the ocean - helps them locate creatures even if they are buried on the sea bed - great use to a shark for hunting

8. ‘The Great White Shark or White Death’ • Considered to be the most powerful predator of all • Grows to over 20 feet long • Weighs more than 2 tons • Capable of eating seals whole • Became famous in the Steven Spielberg film ‘Jaws’ where it was portrayed as a blood thirsty creature intent on killing people • However this was not a true representation • Attacks on humans are rare & usually only happen when a shark mistakes a human for its usual prey • Little is actually known about great whites because they are rarely seen • Scientists do not know where they mate or give birth & they do not know their age when they reproduce & when they die • It is thought that they may be on the decline • Prefer costal waters – increases likelihood of encounters with man • Prefers water about 30 metres deep • Floating objects of all kinds seem to attract their attention • On the rare occasion where a great white has attacked a human it rarely ever eats the entire body • Most likely to attack a human if it feels threatened

9. ‘Shark Attacks’ • Most sharks are NOT dangerous & DO NOT attack humans • Sharks only attack about 50 to 75 people in the world each year • Only 5 to 10 of reported shark attacks on humans result in death • You have a greater chance of being involved in a road accident than in a shark attack • The film ‘Jaws’ has resulted in the great white shark gaining an unfair & untrue reputation as a cold blooded killer • Great whites do not deliberately attack humans – if they do attack it is either because they have felt threatened or because they have mistaken a human for their usual prey • People e.g. surfers put themselves at risk of shark attack by surfing near seal and sea lion breeding grounds where great whites like to hunt • The majority of sharks are harmless to man • Of the sharks which are dangerous to man the main reason for the danger is man’s invasion of the shark’s natural habitat

10. ‘‘Jaws’ the Film & Sharks’ • The 1974 novel ‘Jaws’ followed by the Steven Spielberg novel ‘Jaws’ alerted people to the fact that sharks could be dangerous • However it misrepresented the shark & portrayed the great white in a particularly bad light • In the film, Jaws hunts bathers & the fishermen who attempt to catch him – this would not happen in real life • In the film a team of locals eventually get together to try to kill the shark but they become the hunted and their leader is eaten alive – again this is extremely unlikely to happen in real life • The behaviour of the shark in the film ‘Jaws’ is not realistic • Experts say it would be very unlikely for a shark to behave in this way • The stalking of a human by a shark as depicted in ‘Jaws’ has never been documented in real life • The reputation of the great white shark has ultimately been negatively effected by the film ‘Jaws’

11. ‘Save the Shark’ • Tigers & Elephants are more popular with the general public than sharks even though elephants & tigers are more dangerous • People should be worried about sharks because their numbers are rapidly dwindling/decreasing due to overfishing • People kill shark for their; meat, fins, skin, liver oil & also just for the sheer fun or sport of it • Sharks have a much slower rate of reproduction than bony fish therefore if too many of them are killed their numbers may never recover • Efforts are now being made to protect the sharks through the creation of reserves, restricting the numbers permitted to be caught & banning fishing which may prove harmful to them • In order to like & understand sharks people must learn more about them • People must ignore the myths, the misrepresentation of sharks in novels and films and instead concentrate on the facts

12. The Writing Frame Opening Paragraph Give a strong statement of personal opinion Refer to the influence and effect of the film ‘Jaws’ Explain the stereotypical view of the shark (Look at the notes you took from the articles ‘Jaws’, ‘The Great White Shark or White Death’) e.g. • I wholeheartedly believe that sharks are not the dangerous and evil creatures that films such as ‘Jaws’ portray them to be. Therefore I do not think that their reputation as a killer is truly justified. • I am of the firm opinion that sharks are not the vengeful and cold blooded creatures that some books and films would have us believe them to be. As a result of this I do not believe that their reputation as a killer is truly justified. • Portrayed as vengeful and cold blooded killers, sharks are negatively misrepresented. Contrary to popular misconception sharks are actually mostly harmless to humans and do not deserve their reputation as a killer.

13. Paragraph Two • Give a topic sentence followed by a linking word/phrase to introduce statistics about deaths caused by sharks which support your viewpoint. • Compare with road accidents, drowning accidents etc. • e.g. • Films such as Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’ portrays the great white shark as a ruthless killer intent on a blood thirsty hunt for revenge. As a result of this not only the great white, but indeed many other sharks too, are now feared as vicious would be killers of any poor, unfortunate, unsuspecting and innocent human victim. However this fear can be proven to be unfounded as statistics show that… • Look at notes from the articles • ‘Shark Attacks’ and ‘’Jaws’ the Film & Sharks’.

14. Paragraph Three Topic sentence followed by a linking word/phrase Give information on the different species of sharks and how many of them are predators Where do these sharks live? What type of water do they prefer/what temperature etc. Look at the notes you took from the article ‘All Kinds of Sharks’

15. Paragraph Four Topic sentence followed by a linking word/phrase Describe the shark’s senses and how its acute and in some cases unique senses contribute to its reputation Look at the notes you took from the article ‘Shark Senses’

16. Paragraph Five Topic sentence followed by a linking word/phrase Look at the sharks which are predators and explain how/why they sometimes happen to attack humans Look at the notes you took from the articles; • ‘All Kinds of Sharks • ‘Honeymoon Surfer is Eaten by a Shark’ • ‘The Great White Shark or White Death’ • ‘Shark Attacks’ • ‘‘Jaws’ the Film & Sharks’

17. Paragraph Six Topic sentence followed by a linking word/phrase Look at the counter argument – sharks sometimes are/occasionally are dangerous to humans Examine the counter argument that some sharks are in danger of extinction and need to be protected from humans. Look at the notes you took from the articles; • ‘Honeymoon Surfer is Eaten by a Shark’ • ‘Shark Attacks’ • ‘Save the Shark’

18. Conclusion Linking word/phrase Return to your opinion on the matter and sum up your arguments Do you agree/disagree with the shark’s reputation as a killer?

19. Word bank Linking Words and first second third next in addition likewise also moreover furthermore similarly despite therefore consequently as a result in brief at the same time yet accordingly without question without doubt significantly unquestionably absolutely on the other hand nevertheless however on the contrary otherwise ultimately in spite of although significantly clearly critically evidently finally hence interestingly justifiably notably on reflection regardless of

20. Good Vocabulary for Our Articles • Unfounded – (adjective) with no foundation or facts/not based on real evidence e.g. ‘Claims that great white sharks kill any swimmers they encounter are totally unfounded.’ • Therefore – (adverb) for that reason e.g. ‘Therefore I feel that the portrayal of the great white shark as a cold blooded killer is unfair.’ • Portray – (verb) to make a picture/to describe in words e.g. Films like ‘Jaws’ portray the great white shark as a cold blooded killer however I believe this to be unfair.’ • Misrepresent – (verb) to represent in a false or misleading way e.g. The great white shark has been misrepresented in films such as ‘Jaws’ leading many of us to believe that all sharks kill humans when this is actually not true. • Misconception – (noun) – a wrong impression e.g. Contrary to popular misconception great white sharks do not usually seek out humans for their prey. Can you add any more words to this list?