SHARK ATTACK

AGES: 5 to 12
PROJECT: Playing a predatory game
GOAL: To learn about a shark's sixth sense, or "electrosense"

MATERIALS

Blindfold
Jar containing 1/4 cup popcorn
Jar containing a few pebbles

Sharks are the most formidable predators of the oceans. Like humans, sharks make use of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste--and they also have an "electrosense" that gives them an extra advantage underwater. A shark's snout is dotted with jelly-filled, sensory pores called ampullae of Lorenzini that pick up faint electrical signals emitted by even the quietest, best camouflaged prey.

Most kids will recognize this game as a version of the poolside classic Marco Polo. Designate two kids to play the shark and the shrimp; the other children may strike stationary poses as mounds of coral, seaweed or giant clams.

Hand the shark the jar of pebbles and blindfold him. Give the shrimp the jar of uncooked popcorn and have him hide behind the cover of the "coral reef." The rules are simple: Whenever the shark shakes his shaker, the shrimp, who must remain in place, shakes back. The shark then hunts down the shrimp by following its signal. Explain that the shrimp's shaker represents the electrical impulses emitted by the shrimp. The shark is blindfolded to demonstrate that it can locate its prey without the use of its other senses. To make the game more exciting, allow the shrimp to change hiding places once during the round.

FANTASTIC FISH PRINTS

AGES: 5 to 12
PROJECT: Making fish prints
GOALS: To take a close look at a fish and use it in a craft project

MATERIALS

1 medium-size, whole flat fish
Calligraphy ink
Brushes (paint or sponge)
Gold, silver or other markers
Newspaper
2 or 3 pieces of 11-by-17-inch rice paper per child

Besides being a good excuse to take a close look at a fish, this rice-paper printing project makes a decorative and unusual place mat or wall hanging. Begin by observing your fish. Have the children run their fingers over its body, feeling how the scales lie smooth and how they lift in the opposite direction. Examine the gills, the eyes and the mouth. Run your fingers along the fins to see how they spread apart. Explain the functions of each set of fins: The pectorals, behind the gills, help the fish turn; the dorsals, along the backbone, keep it upright; the pelvic fins give the fish lift, like the tail wings on an airplane; the tail fin steers.

When the kids are ready to try printing, have them wash the fish (a diluted soap solution works best). Dry the fish and stuff the mouth and any other body cavity with tissue paper to keep fluids from leaking out. Set the fish on a newspaper-covered work table and spread out the tail and fins.

Have the children paint the top side of the fish with a coat of ink, then do a test print on newsprint. Smooth the paper carefully over the fish, patting gently and feeling through it for the scales, fins, gills and other features. (You may need to reach under and hold the fins out to get a good impression of them.) When you think you have a complete print, peel the paper off and examine the results. Try more test prints until you have perfected your technique.

When you are ready to go ahead with the rice paper, have the kids wipe off excess ink from their hands and put fresh newspaper under the fish. The rice-paper prints should be the best and most satisfying for the children because the translucent paper makes it easy for kids to see what they are doing as they work.

After the prints have dried, hand out the markers and let the kids highlight the eyes, gills and fins with contrasting colors. Finally, if you and your kids aren't too squeamish and if your fish has not been cleaned, consider an internal investigation: Slice your fish open and try to identify its heart and stomach.