Comparing the Length of the Megalodon with the Length of Living Marine Animals
graph from Scholastic News; slow reveal by Jenna Laib
Type of Graph: bar graph
Purpose
This slow reveal is designed to support analysis and discussion of both the data and the design choices. The questions in the slide deck invite learners to estimate values, compare values, and reason about the size of some very large animals.
About This Graph
This visualization is not provided for reuse or redistribution. Readers and educators are encouraged to view the original visualization in its published context.
Data Visualization Source:
Song, Ellen. “A Giant Honor: The megalodon recently became the official state shark of Maryland.” Scholastic News: October 26, 2026.
Accessed at https://sn3.scholastic.com/issues/2026-27/102626/a-giant-honor.html
Data Sources:
Unknown, but sources that corroborate the data include:
New Bedford Whaling Museum. “Blue Whale.” New Bedford Whaling Museum, https://www.whalingmuseum.org/research/research-resources/whale-science/biology/about-whales/species-of-local-interest/blue-whale/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Natural History Museum. “Megalodon: The Truth About the Largest Shark That Ever Lived.” Natural History Museum, https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/megalodon–the-truth-about-the-largest-shark-that-ever-lived.html. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “Killer Whales.” Alaska Department of Fish and Game, https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=killerwhale.main. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Smithsonian Ocean. “How Big Are Great White Sharks?” Smithsonian Ocean, https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/how-big-are-great-white-sharks. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
In The Classroom
There are many different mathematical connections that can be made to this data and data visualization.
Potential Math Content: scale along the horizontal axis, estimating values, comparing values, size, data collection methodology, representing data
Potential Content Connections: sharks, whales, marine animals, ancient animals, megalodon, orca, great white shark, blue whale, animals, oceans
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