Happy Thursday, readers, writers, and shark fans!
We previously had the pleasure of sharing with you the latest collaboration between Sesame Workshop (the home of Sesame Street) and HiHo Kids in their “Kids Meet” series on YouTube, starting with their episode, “Kids Meet a Beekeeper,” which we reviewed here. Much like meeting an adult during Career Day and getting to ask them about their job, children get to accompany Elmo and ask various career people about what they do, from dancers to basketball players to now more natural fields!
HiHo Kids and Sesame Workshop’s two-episode collaboration focuses on the theme of conservation and environmentalism, and we’re excited to be back today with the second part in the series, “Kids Meet a Marine Biologist.”
Last week, Elmo and several of his friends interviewed Sarah the Marine Biologist, who wore heavy brown overhauls, which some of the kids mistook as a zookeeper’s uniform. For the rest of their conversation, Sarah and Elmo’s friends wore traditional marine biologist uniforms, while Elmo wore a scuba suit perfect for a tropical reef marine biologist. During their conversation, they looked at spider crabs, the skeletal remains of a Great White Shark jaw, whelks (a type of sea snail), the shell of a giant Australian trumpet, and a horseshoe crab—which, to Elmo’s relief, does NOT have a giant stinger, but a tail that is often mistaken for one!
Our favorite fact from the episode was about shark skin when Elmo asked if Sarah had ever touched a shark.
She confirmed that she had and pointed out that a shark’s skin is actually really rough, like sandpaper, even though most of us (like Elmo!) think it looks smooth.
That’s because their skin is covered in thousands of denticles, which allows them to navigate through the water very quickly!
And of course, there was Elmo’s impeccable dolphin impression!
Most importantly, Sarah shared some ways that we can help: like participating in an ocean cleanup or a neighborhood beach cleanup, learning more about recycling, throwing your trash away (and maybe grabbing someone else’s left behind trash when you see it), and never EVER throwing trash in the ocean!
In less than seven minutes, children everywhere can access fascinating introductory information about marine biology and important marine animals, and while no LIVING sharks made an appearance, we’re sure they’ll be inspired to learn more about marine biology and perhaps even pursue it as a hobby or career path!
You can watch the episode here:
You might be wondering why we at Lit Shark are so interested in HiHo and Sesame Workshop’s ‘Kids Meet’ series, and the reasons are really two-fold. First, just like our Shark Dog issue we are working on, we believe that all animals on our shared planet matter, and all areas and mediums of our planet are connected. How many creatures marine biologists study is so much greater than one might think! Second, what we learn in childhood has a unique way of sticking when we are taught the information in a meaningful way. Beginning to learn this information at a young age can encourage them to be uniquely empathetic toward others, as well as insightful and innovative in how to practice green living and sustainability at home.
We loved having the opportunity to share more information about these two episodes and hope to share more in the future! Stay tuned!
SESAME WORKSHOP is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok.
HIHO KIDS is part of Cut Media, a cutting-edge entertainment company and leader in digital media and games. HiHo’s goal is to promote empathy through play and set the tone for a generation of critical thinkers. With more than 6.4M fans across YouTube and social, HiHo’s co-watching content brings parents and kids together to drive awareness and in the process, activate a captive and loyal audience. To check out HiHo Kids content, please visit www.youtube.com/hihokids.
CUT MEDIA are the dynamic digital storytellers behind unscripted viral shows like Truth or Drink, The Button, and more. CUT’s programming has quietly exploded into one of the most popular and multifaceted entertainment platforms on the internet, bringing together major stars and brands for their viral content across CUT.com, YouTube, TikTok, and more. Today, CUT Media garners over 295M views per month, has over 29M followers across platforms, and comes in at #176 and #18 of YouTube’s and TikTok’s Top Companies, respectively.
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