Dichotomous Keys

If you go swimming or snorkeling off the coast of Florida, you might run into a shark. If that happens, you might want to know what kind of shark it is! Luckily, you can find out using the Dichotomous Keys Gizmo.

In the Gizmo, you can use a step-by-step process, called a dichotomous key, to identify sharks and other plants and wildlife. In each step of the key there are two choices. At the end of the sequence of choices, students will identify the animal or plant species. There are five different keys in the Gizmo, ranging from California seabirds to Virginia evergreens.

If you do encounter a shark in Florida, remember that shark attacks are very rare. Most shark bites are the result of “mistaken identity” and the shark will quickly swim away. In Florida, most attacks are attributed to blacktip sharks.