VIDEO

VIDEO

Demon Fish

Demon Fish

Washington Post environmental reporter Juliet Eilperin takes us on a globe-spanning adventure to investigate the ways individuals and cultures relate to the ocean's top predator.

Grades

9 - 12+

Program
NG Live

This video was filmed on October 5, 2011 as part of the National Geographic Live! Lecture series at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Introduction

Washington Post environmental reporter Juliet Eilperin takes us on a globe-spanning adventure to investigate the ways individuals and cultures relate to the ocean's top predator. Through her eye-opening images and stories, Eilperin reminds us why sharks remain among nature's most awe-inspiring creatures.


Outline

  • Introduction and why Eilperin wanted to study sharks (start-2:31 min.)

  • Island culture's relationship with sharks (2:32-4:01 min.)

  • Hawaiin shark culture: praying to an aumakua (4:02-5:45 min.)

  • Shark beliefs in medieval times: dragon tongue stones (5:46-6:25 min.)

  • Greek and Roman accounts of sharks (6:26-7:08 min.)

  • The Western world's reintroduction to sharks through seafaring (7:09-9:10 min.)

  • The American reintroduction to sharks (9:11-9:55 min.)

  • Politicians and sharks: public blame and the Shark Menace Committee (9:56-12:13 min.)

  • How the movie Jaws shaped shark perceptions (12:14-14:00 min.)

  • Fishing and sharks: recreational and industrial bycatch (14:01-15:38 min.)

  • About the shark fin trade (15:39-17:35 min.)

  • The ecological role of sharks (17:36-19:23 min.)


Strategies for Using Video in a Variety of Learning Environments

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  • Have students determine what they think the key message of this video is. Was the speaker effective in getting his or her message across?

  • Show a short clip to engage students during class, and then have students watch the full video at home and write a paragraph responding to the content or a question you give them.

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Media Credits

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Page Producers
Nina Page, National Geographic Society
Samantha Zuhlke, National Geographic Society
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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