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Scientists in the Field
Swimming With Hammerhead Sharks
The author traveled to Cocos Island in the South Pacific to join a film-making team on location as they documented the undersea environment and behaviors of the hammerhead shark.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2001
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 23, 2021
Although that yes indeed, I would probably never dare (or even consider) to actually go swimming in the open ocean with hammerhead sharks (and not really because I am afraid of sharks but more because I would be very leary of the actual scuba diving and all of the breathing equipment required), I have definitely and greatly enjoyed Kenneth Mallory’s 2001 Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks. And while of course all of the information and details about hammerhead sharks, shark scientist Dave Klimley and also sharks in general which Kenneth Mallory’s text provides have very much been interesting and enlightening (and all penned in an engagingly educational manner that is equally never too scientific, never too complicated for the intended age group of Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks, for older children from about the age of nine or so onwards, providing very good factual information but without too much complicated textual representation), for me what moves Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks from a solid four stars to five stars is that Kenneth Mallory also totally shows that sharks do NOT AT ALL deserve the often horrible reputation they tend to have.
For sharks actually do face far more threats from humans (from fishing, from supposedly cultural food practices such as shark finning, from pollution, from habit destruction etc.) than humans as a whole, as a species will ever likely face from sharks. And indeed, one of the absolute best parts of Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks is that the accompanying photographs never ONCE show the oh so common and sensational image of a huge shark closeup of staring eyes and a myriad of teeth (and that author and photographer Kenneth Mallory also repeatedly points out how movies such as Jaws and pictures of sharks with their mouths wide open and teeth showing have sadly contributed to giving sharks in general a really quite undeservedly terrible and nasty reputation and which also has then contributed to sharks being so universally feared that often they are stalked and killed on sight just because they happen to be sharks).
And thus, combined with the interesting general shark and shark scientist based facts and figures mentioned above, with Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks Kenneth Mallory also very clearly demonstrates that sharks need conservation and protection, that many species (including hammerhead sharks) are endangered and sometimes critically so, but that there are also many ways children (anyone) can help protect sharks (by supporting conservation efforts, but also and first and foremost, by not hunting sharks, by not consuming shark fin soup or in fact anything made from shark body parts, such as for example nutritional supplements containing shark cartilage), and with for me the detailed bibliography (listing both books and online resources) providing the icing on the cake (and yes, that this bibliography really does make Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks a truly wonderful teaching and learning tool with regard to its supplemental research value).
For sharks actually do face far more threats from humans (from fishing, from supposedly cultural food practices such as shark finning, from pollution, from habit destruction etc.) than humans as a whole, as a species will ever likely face from sharks. And indeed, one of the absolute best parts of Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks is that the accompanying photographs never ONCE show the oh so common and sensational image of a huge shark closeup of staring eyes and a myriad of teeth (and that author and photographer Kenneth Mallory also repeatedly points out how movies such as Jaws and pictures of sharks with their mouths wide open and teeth showing have sadly contributed to giving sharks in general a really quite undeservedly terrible and nasty reputation and which also has then contributed to sharks being so universally feared that often they are stalked and killed on sight just because they happen to be sharks).
And thus, combined with the interesting general shark and shark scientist based facts and figures mentioned above, with Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks Kenneth Mallory also very clearly demonstrates that sharks need conservation and protection, that many species (including hammerhead sharks) are endangered and sometimes critically so, but that there are also many ways children (anyone) can help protect sharks (by supporting conservation efforts, but also and first and foremost, by not hunting sharks, by not consuming shark fin soup or in fact anything made from shark body parts, such as for example nutritional supplements containing shark cartilage), and with for me the detailed bibliography (listing both books and online resources) providing the icing on the cake (and yes, that this bibliography really does make Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks a truly wonderful teaching and learning tool with regard to its supplemental research value).
June 13, 2021
I have always been fascinated by hammerhead sharks and often wondered what caused the development of their unusually shaped head that other fish did not develop. Because of this book, I've come up with a theory, but won't share it here. I learned many things about hammerheads that I didn't know and it made me want to learn even more about these fascinating, unusual creatures.
September 16, 2015
I didn't know anything about hammerhead sharks before reading this book outside of bits I'd seen in movies or TV - so my knowledge was pretty slim. I think what amazed me the most is how disinterested they are in humans - especially in light of so many shark attacks that were in the news this summer.
Another solid book in this series - lots of pictures, information presented in an interesting manner. Maybe not quite as gripping as some of the books - there was less urgency here (less about saving the animals and more about making and IMAX film). Still a cool book and one a shark lover would enjoy.
Another solid book in this series - lots of pictures, information presented in an interesting manner. Maybe not quite as gripping as some of the books - there was less urgency here (less about saving the animals and more about making and IMAX film). Still a cool book and one a shark lover would enjoy.
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October 10, 2018Summary: This book was about a man named Pete who studies hammerhead sharks. It talks about the way that humans affect sharks such as removing their fin, shark habits and diets, etc. It also explains the schooling that Pete went through to be able to work with sharks.
Evaluation: I didn't dislike the book, but it's very wordy. I don't think that it would be able to keep the student's attention for very long. It's very interesting and informative though.
Teaching Ideas: You could use part of this book when discussing the impact of humans on the environment. You could get multiple of the Scientist in the Field books for students to explore during a science lesson. You could have them in your classroom for students interested in sharks.
Evaluation: I didn't dislike the book, but it's very wordy. I don't think that it would be able to keep the student's attention for very long. It's very interesting and informative though.
Teaching Ideas: You could use part of this book when discussing the impact of humans on the environment. You could get multiple of the Scientist in the Field books for students to explore during a science lesson. You could have them in your classroom for students interested in sharks.
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October 15, 2018Summary:
Sharks are in danger because they are being removed from the ocean to eat and for fishing. Kenneth Mallory, the author, went on a mission to tell the story of sharks. Along his journey he met a man name Pete Kimley, who helped him learn about all different kinds of sharks. In the book, the author tell us lots of cool facts about sharks, and how they really aren't as scary as we think they are. This book has lots of cool pictures of real sharks and interesting facts!
Evaluation:
This nonfiction book had great pictures and used interactive language to make reading facts fun and interesting. The books layout was visually pleasing with smaller texts books throughout the pages rather than big paragraphs. The author gave a good introduction into the book that made you want to keep reading, which can be difficult for nonfiction books.
Teaching Idea:
The book has some great facts but uses large vocabulary, so while it would be good for students to hear it would be best for a teacher to read it so they can explain the words as they read. This would make a good real aloud for an upper grade science class. After the read aloud, students could pick one type of shark from the book and do further research on it.
Sharks are in danger because they are being removed from the ocean to eat and for fishing. Kenneth Mallory, the author, went on a mission to tell the story of sharks. Along his journey he met a man name Pete Kimley, who helped him learn about all different kinds of sharks. In the book, the author tell us lots of cool facts about sharks, and how they really aren't as scary as we think they are. This book has lots of cool pictures of real sharks and interesting facts!
Evaluation:
This nonfiction book had great pictures and used interactive language to make reading facts fun and interesting. The books layout was visually pleasing with smaller texts books throughout the pages rather than big paragraphs. The author gave a good introduction into the book that made you want to keep reading, which can be difficult for nonfiction books.
Teaching Idea:
The book has some great facts but uses large vocabulary, so while it would be good for students to hear it would be best for a teacher to read it so they can explain the words as they read. This would make a good real aloud for an upper grade science class. After the read aloud, students could pick one type of shark from the book and do further research on it.
November 19, 2012
Mallory, Kenneth. Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks. ( Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001) 48.p Scientist in the Field.
Summary – “Sharks get a lot of bad publicity that they don’t deserve” (p.8. ). Pete Kimley sets out to prove just that when he swims with hammerhead sharks. This book is not only full of information, but clears up any ambiguities that we may have against these creatures.
Critique – Point of View by the author
(B). When I ordered this book, I expected book with pictures of vicious man-eating sharks preying on innocent humans. I was pleasantly surprised to find a book that clears up the misunderstandings about sharks and makes a plea for their survival.
(c) – From the text to the pictures, sharks are portrayed as gentle, serene creatures that have been slaughtered for no reason. “Many sharks are killed just for their fins “ (p.45) and a graphic picture of fins removed for shark-fin soup (p.6) really makes an impact on viewers. “They are also killed by accident” (p.45). An alarming picture shows a shark caught in a net “intended for other prey” (p.44) . Anyone not believing that they are misunderstood, needs only to view the gorgeous underwater pictures of Pete Kimley and other scientists and crew swimming in harmony with them to change their minds.
(D ). While I never want to personally meet up with a shark myself, I do think that is important to educate students about their threat of extinction. There is a great section in the back of the book called” What Can You Do to Help Sharks” (p.46. which gives great suggestions on how to help their survival. Besides the obvious use of this in science class, I also think that it could be use in health class as the importance of studying sharks and their ability to fight disease, as well as, not buying a food supplement made from sharks as there have been no studies to support the benefits. I also think clubs could do fundraisers and outreach programs benefiting shark research and raising awareness of their possible extinction.
Summary – “Sharks get a lot of bad publicity that they don’t deserve” (p.8. ). Pete Kimley sets out to prove just that when he swims with hammerhead sharks. This book is not only full of information, but clears up any ambiguities that we may have against these creatures.
Critique – Point of View by the author
(B). When I ordered this book, I expected book with pictures of vicious man-eating sharks preying on innocent humans. I was pleasantly surprised to find a book that clears up the misunderstandings about sharks and makes a plea for their survival.
(c) – From the text to the pictures, sharks are portrayed as gentle, serene creatures that have been slaughtered for no reason. “Many sharks are killed just for their fins “ (p.45) and a graphic picture of fins removed for shark-fin soup (p.6) really makes an impact on viewers. “They are also killed by accident” (p.45). An alarming picture shows a shark caught in a net “intended for other prey” (p.44) . Anyone not believing that they are misunderstood, needs only to view the gorgeous underwater pictures of Pete Kimley and other scientists and crew swimming in harmony with them to change their minds.
(D ). While I never want to personally meet up with a shark myself, I do think that is important to educate students about their threat of extinction. There is a great section in the back of the book called” What Can You Do to Help Sharks” (p.46. which gives great suggestions on how to help their survival. Besides the obvious use of this in science class, I also think that it could be use in health class as the importance of studying sharks and their ability to fight disease, as well as, not buying a food supplement made from sharks as there have been no studies to support the benefits. I also think clubs could do fundraisers and outreach programs benefiting shark research and raising awareness of their possible extinction.
September 13, 2012
1. I would categorize this chapter book as an informational book.
2. This book is about a scientist’s journey in better understanding Hammerhead sharks and his adventures under the water with them.
3. (A.)- I loved this book because it had amazing pictures. Not only was this book rich with lots of information about Hammerhead sharks but also it has amazing pictures from under the ocean of these sharks. It has different maps, diagrams, and pictures throughout the book that are awesome to look at.
(B.) The book is very appropriate for it to be classified as an information book. It is really organized and there is a clear pattern of information throughout the book. The information really involves the reader because the book goes on the scientists journey has he learns more about Hammerhead sharks. The pictures are awesome because they are real pictures of Hammerhead sharks from under the ocean.
(C.)- One of the reasons that I liked this book was because it really kept me engaged throughout reading it. The scientist describes the first time he swims with the sharks. He explains how dark and muddy the water was and how he couldn’t see the sharks right away which made him frighten. I loved this because I was so connected to the scientist describing the scene and really engaged in the book.
4. I would really like to use this book in my future classroom. I think children would love to look at the pictures and I think they would really enjoy reading this book. Even if we weren’t studying sharks, I would want my students to read and enjoy this book simply for them to gain more of a liking to reading.
2. This book is about a scientist’s journey in better understanding Hammerhead sharks and his adventures under the water with them.
3. (A.)- I loved this book because it had amazing pictures. Not only was this book rich with lots of information about Hammerhead sharks but also it has amazing pictures from under the ocean of these sharks. It has different maps, diagrams, and pictures throughout the book that are awesome to look at.
(B.) The book is very appropriate for it to be classified as an information book. It is really organized and there is a clear pattern of information throughout the book. The information really involves the reader because the book goes on the scientists journey has he learns more about Hammerhead sharks. The pictures are awesome because they are real pictures of Hammerhead sharks from under the ocean.
(C.)- One of the reasons that I liked this book was because it really kept me engaged throughout reading it. The scientist describes the first time he swims with the sharks. He explains how dark and muddy the water was and how he couldn’t see the sharks right away which made him frighten. I loved this because I was so connected to the scientist describing the scene and really engaged in the book.
4. I would really like to use this book in my future classroom. I think children would love to look at the pictures and I think they would really enjoy reading this book. Even if we weren’t studying sharks, I would want my students to read and enjoy this book simply for them to gain more of a liking to reading.
December 10, 2012
Genre: Informational
Summary: Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks is apart of the Scientist in the field series that aims to educate readers on the varies types of Hammerhead sharks as well as on the scientist Pete Klimley that is featured.
a) This book did a great job informing readers of the variation of hammerhead sharks.
b) Many people may think that hammerheads are like the other species of sharks except they have a different shaped head. After reading Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks, I learned that there are nine different types of hammerhead sharks. Each type has a different shape head. On the negative side of this book, it appears to be outdated. The photography tells the books age.
c) On page 9, there is a great chart that shows the nine different types of Hammerheads. Each one lives in a different location, holds their own specific scientific name, and have their own unique head shape. Another interesting fact about the Hammerhead sharks is that their heads are longer and bigger because their brains are actually bigger! (page 8). I also did not know that they are more social than the other species of sharks as they travel in groups sometimes several hundred (page 11).
Curriculum Connection:
It would be fun to practice students’ ability to classify animals into the correct animal taxonomy such as Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
Summary: Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks is apart of the Scientist in the field series that aims to educate readers on the varies types of Hammerhead sharks as well as on the scientist Pete Klimley that is featured.
a) This book did a great job informing readers of the variation of hammerhead sharks.
b) Many people may think that hammerheads are like the other species of sharks except they have a different shaped head. After reading Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks, I learned that there are nine different types of hammerhead sharks. Each type has a different shape head. On the negative side of this book, it appears to be outdated. The photography tells the books age.
c) On page 9, there is a great chart that shows the nine different types of Hammerheads. Each one lives in a different location, holds their own specific scientific name, and have their own unique head shape. Another interesting fact about the Hammerhead sharks is that their heads are longer and bigger because their brains are actually bigger! (page 8). I also did not know that they are more social than the other species of sharks as they travel in groups sometimes several hundred (page 11).
Curriculum Connection:
It would be fun to practice students’ ability to classify animals into the correct animal taxonomy such as Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
March 21, 2008
Not one of my favorites in the Scientists in the Field series. The author relates his experiences swimming with hammerhead sharks, but it was not as exciting as I expected it to be. This book includes information about scientific studies of hammerheads including studies about why they swim in schools and how they use electromagnetic fields to navigate. Color photographs appear on every page, but I found many of them to look very similar and I wished there were more closer and varied photos. All that said, I have yet to meet a grade-school kid who doesn't like sharks and this book will thrill young marine biologists.
October 10, 2013
This is non-fiction book which was filled with interesting facts that focused on hammerhead sharks. The book was detailed with information to inform people on the different types of hammerheads and the scientific investigations surrounding the questions about their lives. It also had a great many details about equiptment used to produce the experiments to answer some lingering questions. The book could be used in a classroom to teach about animals in their habitats and how they survive within them.
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September 3, 2018Summary: This book is about how the author of the book meets up with a marine biologist to explore the lives of hammerhead sharks. Pete Klimley, the marine biologist, has teamed up with an IMAX crew that's making a movie about hammerhead sharks and he is there to try to persuade people that hammerhead sharks aren't the vicious creatures movies make them out to be. The author of the book tags along so he can see these amazing creatures in their own habitat.
Evaluation: This book is very factual and content heavy. I would recommend this book for 5th grade and up and split the book into days if you were reading it with your class.
Teaching idea: For this book I would read a few pages a day to the class and while reading I would have them write down any words they heard that they didn't understand what it was and we would discuss those words, then at the end of every day I would have then write one thing that they learned form the book that they didn't know before as a ticket out of the door. After finishing the book I would like to do a project or experiment about sharks.
Evaluation: This book is very factual and content heavy. I would recommend this book for 5th grade and up and split the book into days if you were reading it with your class.
Teaching idea: For this book I would read a few pages a day to the class and while reading I would have them write down any words they heard that they didn't understand what it was and we would discuss those words, then at the end of every day I would have then write one thing that they learned form the book that they didn't know before as a ticket out of the door. After finishing the book I would like to do a project or experiment about sharks.
November 27, 2018
Summary: This is a non-fiction book about Hammerhead Sharks. This book is about Ken Mallory trying to prove the stereotype of Hammerhead sharks wrong. He travels all the way to the Cocos island and gives us many pictures of the sharks up close. The book also has information from Pete Klimley, who Mallory worked with for this book. The book is filled with enormous amounts of facts on hammerhead sharks and also how readers can help support these creatures.
Teaching Idea: You could use this book for shark week. During shark week you could have student do a mini research project on sharks. This book has so much information on Hammerhead Sharks it would be a great book for students to use for their research project. You could use this book to introduce hammerhead sharks to the class and show them how you would use it for the research project.
Evaluation: This was a very informational book and would be great for a teaching segment during shark week!
Teaching Idea: You could use this book for shark week. During shark week you could have student do a mini research project on sharks. This book has so much information on Hammerhead Sharks it would be a great book for students to use for their research project. You could use this book to introduce hammerhead sharks to the class and show them how you would use it for the research project.
Evaluation: This was a very informational book and would be great for a teaching segment during shark week!
December 3, 2018
Summary:
This book is written by a scientist, Kenneth Mallory, who investigates Hammerhead sharks. One of Mallory's main purposes in writing this non-fiction book is to prove that this stereotype that Hammerhead sharks are evil is wrong. Mallory travels to an island where he was able to take many pictures of sharks with his own camera, and those were included in the book. There are many facts in this book about Hammerhead sharks, and this book is meant to be informational, as well as exciting and interesting.
Evaluation:
I thought this book was good, but I had a hard time getting into it. Sharks are not of great interest to me, personally, so reading this book was not all that exciting. I would include a book like this in my classroom library, though, because many students will find this book absolutely fascinating, and it is probably worth me buying.
Teaching Idea:
Obviously, this would be a great book to use to teach about sharks, but specifically Hammerhead sharks. I know that in younger grades, teachers focus on one animal at a time and the students are able to learn about these animals in great detail, and I think using this book to teach about Hammerhead sharks would be ideal when teaching to the younger grades.
This book is written by a scientist, Kenneth Mallory, who investigates Hammerhead sharks. One of Mallory's main purposes in writing this non-fiction book is to prove that this stereotype that Hammerhead sharks are evil is wrong. Mallory travels to an island where he was able to take many pictures of sharks with his own camera, and those were included in the book. There are many facts in this book about Hammerhead sharks, and this book is meant to be informational, as well as exciting and interesting.
Evaluation:
I thought this book was good, but I had a hard time getting into it. Sharks are not of great interest to me, personally, so reading this book was not all that exciting. I would include a book like this in my classroom library, though, because many students will find this book absolutely fascinating, and it is probably worth me buying.
Teaching Idea:
Obviously, this would be a great book to use to teach about sharks, but specifically Hammerhead sharks. I know that in younger grades, teachers focus on one animal at a time and the students are able to learn about these animals in great detail, and I think using this book to teach about Hammerhead sharks would be ideal when teaching to the younger grades.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews