Learn about sharks with this unit study, topping it off by making delicious shark cupcakes.
Learning About Sharks
Shark Crafts
- Paper Tube Shark
- Shark Cootie Catcher
- Chompin’ Shark Puppet
- Yarn Woven Shark
- Shark Slime
- Wooden Spoon Shark
- Paper Plate Shark Jaws
- Golf Ball Sharks
- Suncatcher Shark
- Clothespin Shark
- Shark Fin Hat
Shark Movies
- Shark Tale (PG)
- Soul Surfer (PG) (movie guide here)
- Shark Bait (G)
- Flipper (PG)
Shark Books
- The Ultimate Book of Sharks by Brian Skerry
- Sharks! by Anne Schreiber
- I’m a Shark by Bob Shea
- How to Survive as a Shark by Kristen Foote
- Who Would Win? Hammerhead vs. Bull Shark by Jerry Pallotta
- National Geographic Kids: Everything Sharks by Ruth A. Musgrave
- So Cool! Sharks by Crispin Boyer
- The Best Book of Sharks by Claire Llwellyn
Shark Cupcakes
Top off your shark party or shark unit study with these shark cupcakes.
Ingredients:
- 1 box of white cake mix, any brand
- 1 C. water
- 2/3 C. vegetable oil
- 3 egg whites
- white frosting
- blue gel food coloring
- 1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed
- 10 oz Wilton black candy melts
- 10 oz Wilton white candy melts
- Small sandwich baggy
- Parchment or wax paper
- Kitchen scissors
- White cupcake liners
- Toothpicks
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line (2) 12 count muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Combine the white cake mix, water, vegetable oil and egg whites mixing well.
Fill each muffin well half way with cupcake batter and bake 18-20 minutes.
Insert a toothpick around 18 minutes, if it comes out clean the cupcakes are done.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool.
Count out 40 black Wilton candy melts and 40 white Wilton candy melts. Place them in a microwave-safe dish and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until melted.
Let the candy melts cool a few minutes and then scoop the melted chocolate into the small sandwich baggy.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Snip a small corner of the sandwich baggy and gently squeeze the melted chocolate out of the baggy and onto the lined the baking sheet making the outline of a shark fin, about 1″ in size. Squeeze some of the melted chocolate into the middle of the shark fin and use a toothpick to fill it in. Repeat this process with 24 chocolate fins. It’s always a good idea to make a few extra in case some break or don’t turn out.
Let the shark fins set about 30 minutes.
Add a few drops of blue gel food coloring to the white frosting and stir to combine.
Generously frost the cupcakes with blue frosting and dip half into the crushed graham cracker crumbs to make the beach.
Carefully place a shark fin in the water. If it has trouble standing, insert a toothpick behind the fin to help it stand.
Repeat with all the cupcakes. This recipe makes approximately 24 cupcakes.