How to Read a Fish

The National Aquarium
US Department of Commerce Building
14th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230
( 202) 482-2825 (Group Rates)

Instructional Unit:
The aquarium will send the teacher a curriculum guide for a tour of the site. The guide is titled: How to Read a Fish. Information includes:
1. What the shape of a fish tells you.
2. What its mouth tells you.
3. What its color tells you.
4. A list of vocabulary wordss
5. Information about a hands-on touch tank and crab coves

Curriculum Unit:
Grades 2, 3, 4. 5
Science

Objectives:
1. Read a fish:

a. Classify pictures of fish according to where they eat and what they eat.
b. At the aquarium, find and list at least 2 different kinds of fish for each of the 2 categories above.

2. Draw a picture of a fish, including gills, final and mouth, and explain function of each part
3.Using different materials read, films watched, draw pictures of at least 4 different fish and explain how each fish protects itself.
4. Explain difference between invertebrate and a vertebrate:

a. Draw 3 examples of different types of vertebrates we will find at the aquarium.
b. Draw 5 examples of invertebrates we will find at the aquarium.

5. Do a short research project on one type of fish and one type of invertebrate. Draw picture and write report on computer.
6. Other pre-visit activities and materials can include: observing dead fish to examine parts, use kits giving examples of sea specimens, coloring books of sea life, reptiles, amphibians, films, filmstrips, make stuffed mobiles of sea life to hang in room, make a learning bulletin board.

On-Site Activities:
1. I make up a questionnaire for children to fill in and to draw pictures regarding the sea life we observe.
2. I try to have one adult for every 6-7 students. I also send home information for the adult to read at their leisure before visit to Aquarium.

Follow-up Activities:
We discuss our questionnaires and show our sketches drawn at the aquarium.

Appendices:
None

Bibliography:
None

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