Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Science

TITLE:    SOMETHING FISHY

AUTHOR:   Sheryl Weinberg,Southeast Island School
          District; Ketchikan, Alaska

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:     UE-HS;  Science)
                         (Level 4)

OVERVIEW:  This lesson affords students an opportunity
to synthesize what they have learned about the anatomy
of fish with their knowledge of ocean environments and
organism's methods of adapting to survive.  The problem
can be expanded to include other sea creatures and
environments.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1.   After creating the ocean descriptors,
     individually, then as a class, students will
     brainstorm in fifteen minutes of less, many,
     different, and unusual adaptive characteristics
     and behaviors.  Ideas are then to be categorized.
2.   Students will narrow the specific characteristics
     of their fish's environment.
3.   Using the generated adaptive characteristics and
     behaviors as a resource, students will identify
     adaptations that will impact characteristics of
     their fish.  They will then collect materials
     needed to make a model.
4.   Students will make a model and name it.
5.   Fish models will be labeled, presented and
     displayed in a synthesized environment.

OPTIONAL:
Following presentations of fish, students might arrange
their creations in a food chain or web of the future.

Student Motivation:
     Show slides of several species of fish.  In the
way of review have students verbally identify parts of
anatomies and adaptive characteristics.  Next say:  "
The year is 2025.   Since the turn of the century,
pollution, over fishing and global warming have
dramatically altered characteristics of oceans."  Ask
students, through discussion, to come up with a
composite of 10 characteristics that would describe the
Pacific Ocean in 2025.  List them on the chalkboard.

Problem:
     Given the hypothetically evolved condition of the
ocean, students will create a fish of the future,
listing many, different, and unusual ways that their
fish will adapt to survive.  The student will name the
fish and create a labeled model of it.

Academic Concepts:
     Adaptation as a function of preservation. Fish
anatomy. The ocean as an ecosystem.


Evaluation:
MANY - Total number of adaptations listed.
DIFFERENT - Number of categories of fish adaptations
            listed.
UNUSUAL - One-of-a-kind ideas listed for fish
          adaptations.

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