Sharks use Earth's magnetic field

Sharks use Earth's magnetic field

By: Associated Press

Lexile: 860

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People often use a system called GPS to know where they are while traveling. This system uses a device to calculate the position of people or things. Now, scientists have found that some sharks have their own kind of GPS

Multiple Select

"People often use a system called GPS to know where they are while traveling." What are two synonyms for the word GPS?

• Disorder

• Radar

• Disarrangement

• Satellite

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the text best describes what a GPS is? 

• This system uses a device to calculate the position of people or things.

• People often use a system called GPS to know where they are while traveling.

• Now, scientists have found that some sharks have their own kind of GPS

Scientists have known that other animals have a similar ability. Some animals use Earth's magnetic fields to help them navigate. A magnetic field is an invisible area surrounding a magnet. There, you can observe magnetic forces. Earth's magnetic field extends out into space. 

Multiple Choice

Which Sentence from the story best describes a magnetic field? 

• A magnetic field is an invisible area surrounding a magnet.

• Scientists have known that other animals have a similar ability.

• Some animals use Earth's magnetic fields to help them navigate.

• There, you can observe magnetic forces. Earth's magnetic field extends out into space. 

Multiple Choice

According to the text, how far out does Earth's Magnetic Field go to? 

• Antartica

• The Ocean

• Space

• The North Pole

Multiple Choice

According to the story, what do animals use to navigate? 

• GPS 

• The Ocean

• Earth's Magnetic Field

Animals such as birds and sea turtles use magnetic fields to find food and nesting sites. So, scientists wanted to know if bonnethead sharks could use magnetic fields in the same way. Bonnetheads are a type of small hammerhead shark. 

Multiple Choice

According to the text, which shark where they going to be experimenting with? 

• Tiger Shark

• Great White Shark

• Bonnethead Shark

• Blue Whale

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the story, explains what animals use the Electromagnetic Field for?

• Animals such as birds and sea turtles use magnetic fields to find food and nesting sites.

• So, scientists wanted to know if bonnethead sharks could use magnetic fields in the same way

• Bonnetheads are a type of small hammerhead shark.

The scientists found that these sharks do in fact use magnetic fields. They use them to navigate thousands of miles across the oceans and find their way back home. In May 2021, the scientists published their study in a scientific journal. 

Multiple Select

"They use them to navigate thousands of miles across the oceans and find their way back home." What are two synonyms for the word Navigate?

• Get lost

• Drive

• Steer

• Forget

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the story explains the scientists findings?

(Findings are what the Scientist learned from the experiment)

• The scientists found that these sharks do in fact use magnetic fields.

• They use them to navigate thousands of miles across the oceans and find their way back home. 

• In May 2021, the scientists published their study in a scientific journal.

Magnetic Fields

Bryan Keller studies marine policy, or laws affecting the ocean, at Florida State University. He worked on the study.

Keller and his team studied 20 bonnethead sharks. These sharks make migrations every year. A migration is the movement of a group of animals from one place to another. Bonnetheads live on both American coasts. They migrate to the same spots every year to feed and give birth. The scientists wanted to know if magnetic fields played a role in helping them make these migrations.

Multiple Choice

Which Sentence from the text explains what the word Migration means? 

• These sharks make migrations every year.

• "A migration is the movement of a group of animals from one place to another."

• The scientists wanted to know if magnetic fields played a role in helping them make these migrations.

• They migrate to the same spots every year to feed and give birth.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the story explains why the sharks migrate every year?

• They migrate to the same spots every year to feed and give birth.

• Bonnetheads live on both American coasts.

• The scientists wanted to know if magnetic fields played a role in helping them make these migrations.

• These sharks make migrations every year.

In an experiment, the scientists caught bonnethead sharks off the coast of Florida. Next, they exposed the sharks to magnetic conditions. These conditions were similar to ones that the sharks usually encounter hundreds of kilometers away from the Florida location.

Multiple Select

"These conditions were similar to ones that the sharks usually encounter hundreds of kilometers away from the Florida location." What are two synonyms for the word conditions?

• Disorder

• Situation

• Disrepair

• Causes

Multiple Choice

According to the story, off of which coast did the sharks begin at?

• Washington

• Florida

• New York

• California

The simulated conditions made the sharks think they were further south than they actually were. The sharks responded by swimming north. This proved that they could sense and respond to magnetic fields. 

Multiple Choice

What did the conditions prove about the sharks?

• They do not use the magnetic fields to navigate

• They use the magnetic fields to navigate

• The sharks are unable to navigate 

Multiple Choice

Which Sentence shows how the sharks responded to the experiment?

• This proved that they could sense and respond to magnetic fields. 

• The sharks responded by swimming north.

• The simulated conditions made the sharks think they were further south than they actually were

"We know that sharks can respond to magnetic fields," said Keller. "We didn't know that they detected it to use as an aid in navigation."

Keller said that some bonnethead sharks can travel 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles). After traveling, they can still remember and return to the same spots. 

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the story shows that the sharks are able to return to their original spot? 

• After traveling, they can still remember and return to the same spots. 

• "We know that sharks can respond to magnetic fields," said Keller. "We didn't know that they detected it to use as an aid in navigation."

• Keller said that some bonnethead sharks can travel 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles).

Multiple Select

"We didn't know that they detected it to use as an aid in navigation." What are two syllables for the word aid?

• Assistance

• Stop

• Forget

• Support

The research provides evidence that these sharks navigate the oceans using the Earth's magnetic fields. However, it doesn't explain exactly how they do it. Other experts say future studies could tell us more about it.

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• The Sharks can swim fast from one side of the US to the next. 

• The Research shows that they use the magnetic fields but not how they use the magnetic fields.

• The Sharks are able to navigate from one coast to the next coast. 

• The experiment showed the information they fiund at the beginning was correct and this made them very excited. 

Poll

According to the text, do scientists believe that future studies will explain how they use the magnetic fields?

• Yes

• No

Navigating The Oceans

Robert Hueter is a scientist at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Florida. Hueter was not involved in the study. But he said he would like to see more research on how the sharks use magnetic fields to determine their location. 

Multiple Choice

According to the text, how was Robert Huerter apart of the study?

• He was not apart of the study

• He was the main scientist of the experiment

• He took all of the pictures of the sharks

Open Ended

In your opinion, Why do you think this experiment was important?

I think this experiment was important because___

Multiple Choice

According to text, what does the scientist want to learn more about? 

• How sharks navigate so he can find ways to get them more food. 

• How sharks swim so that way he can find new ways to help them swim. 

• How sharks navigate to be able to find their location. 

He said that Keller and his team made some progress at chipping away at this question.

Open Ended

"He said that Keller and his team made some progress at chipping away at this question."

What do you think the term "Chipping away?" means?

I think Chipping Away means____

The information learned from this study could also help scientists keep track of and manage different sharks throughout the world's oceans. 

The information might also help them understand why shark populations are declining. 

Multiple Select

"The information might also help them understand why shark populations are declining." What are two antonyms for the word declining?

• Increase

• Decrease

• Accept

• Shrink

Multiple Select

According to the story, what can the information from the story help scientists know about sharks?

• It can let them know why shark populations are declining

• They can keep track of and manage the different sharks in the ocean

• They can not use this research to help with anything

One study found that between 1970 and 2018, shark populations decreased significantly. So, knowing how sharks navigate the seas could be one step toward saving them.

Multiple Choice

According to the text, How is knowing that sharks navigate helpful to scientists?

• Sharks cannot navigate so the information they found was not helpful in any way. 

• They do not believe that this was helpful, they thought it would be a good experiment to try.

• Knowing how sharks navigate is a step into saving the sharks. 

• They can use the information into learning how other animals can navigate.

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose?

• To entertain the reader (to make you laugh)

• To inform the reader (teach you something)

• To persuade the reader (get the reader to believe their opinion)