Bells Elementary School teachers Marissa Yaker and Chris Gentile didn’t have to look too far to enliven their third-grade students’ book discussion on Shark Attack! After the students finished the book as part of their Wit and Wisdom unit on the sea, the teachers reached out to their colleague and known-shark enthusiast and expert Amanda Brewer, a Washington Township High School art teacher, to share her knowledge with the class.
In the summer of 2014, while collecting data during a month-long internship for the eco-tourism and animal conservation organization White Shark Africa, Brewer snapped a photo of a great white shark from inside a cage tethered to the end of a boat in Mossel Bay, South Africa. The photo, captured through a GoPro camera, was shared on the company’s website, went viral, was picked up by Time magazine and led to Brewer’s appearances on Good Morning America, the Today Show, Fox News and Inside Edition. Brewer remains passionate about the conservation of sharks and protecting their populations.
Joining in a WebEx call with Bells students on January 8th, Brewer shared her first-hand experiences with sharks and interesting facts about their physical features, their intelligence and their importance to a healthy ecosystem.
Washington Township High School art teacher Amanda Brewer added to the book discussion on Shark Attack! with Bells Elementary School third graders, sharing exciting facts and her personal experiences with the creatures.
