Lesson: 3 Fun with Fish

Objectives:

1. For students to gain some knowledge about fish.
2. For students to be able to recognize fish in the area.
3. For students to be able to fish on their own with no major problems.

Resources:

1. Biology : Silver Burdett

Materials:

1. Fishing poles
2. Tackle
3. Fish license
4. Fishing Net
5. Life jackets
6. First Aid Kit
7. Water Bottles
8. Bait

Age Appropriate: nine years old and older

Information for lesson:

• Fish are vertebrates that live in water and breathe with gills. They are cold blooded aka endotherms because they absorb heat from the environment
• Fish have three parts : head, trunk, tail.
• Three classes of fish:
• Agnatha: jawless fish ex. Lamprey
• Chondrichthyes: cartilage fish ex. Shark
• Osteichthyes: boney fish, 30,000 species more than all other vertebrates combined ex. Perch

• Fish swim by alternating contracting muscle groups on either side of body, in a wave like motion.

• 2 groups . . . ray finned fish (most of the fish are in this group), lobe – finned fish.
• A fish stays a float by use of a swim bladder which is a structure that is filled with gases and helps the fish keep a float in the water.
• Fish have fins for locomotion.
• Fish have scales for protection, they regrow if lost.
• The age of a fish can be found by the annual growth rings created by the scales. As a fish gets older its scales thicken.

The lateral line helps a fish find its way in the night.

Activities:

1. Explain to the kids how to cast a fishing pole. Describe the parts of the fishing pole.
2. Practice casting in an open area with no trees.
3. Gather kids and equipment and head out to the lake to fish for an hour. If we catch a fish (Let’s cross our fingers that we do) we will go over the external anatomy of the fish.

Summary:

We observed fish in nature and saw what they eat. Let us refresh our memories: fish eat other small fish, salamanders, frogs, and bugs.

***When fishing with children remember . . . be safe and prepared, always carry a first aid kit, make sure to purchase a fishing license, tackle, rod, and net, keep in mind catch and release laws, and be patient they are just kids! ***

This can be a three day lesson plan . . .

Day 1 : basic knowledge about fishing and fish, the different types of fish that you will be fishing for, and practice casting.

Day 2 : Fish with the kids

Day 3 : Fishing summary