TOPIC: Fish
TARGET AGE LEVEL: 5th Grade, one class period
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the lesson, students
will be able to:
1. Identify the main characteristics of fish.
2. Describe the characteristics of a cold-blooded
animal.
3. Describe how fish get oxygen under water.
CONCEPTS/STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
identify, compare, contrast, describe
MATERIALS:
Science Textbook
Handout
MOTIVATOR/ANTICIPATORY SET: Students will gather in their respective groups for this lesson. Brainstorm different parts of fish. Draw a picture of a fish on the board and label the parts. Share some stories the students may have of fishing excursions.
PROCEDURE/KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. We will read as a class page 58-59 in the text.
Look at the pictures in the text and make observations abou tthe fish and
the scales.
2. Fish are a large group of vertebrates and have
many characteristics in common. Ask what characteristics fish have in common.
(fish are cold-blooded, have simple skeletons made of bone or cartilage,
live in water, have scales and fins, and breathe with gills.) Write answers
on the board.
3. Direct the student's attention to the drawings
of the fish on page 59. Point out the inset drawing on page 59 of the cutaway
picture of a fish's gills.
4. Review with students the need for living things
to obtain oxygen. What structures do fish use to get oxygen? (Gills)
5. Have students trace the flow of water through
the gills. Have students explain how the gills take part in the exchange
of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
6. Compare and contrast the drawings of the fish
in the text. Have the students suggest reasons for the diversity in shapes.
6. The shark is one of the most primitive of all
vertebrates. it has been on the earth for at least 350 billion years. Share
some other interesting facts about sharks.
CLOSURE: Review the main characteristics of fish. (Cold-blooded vertebrates that live in water, have scales and fins, and breathe through gills.)
ASSESSMENT: Students will be assessed by their participation
in class, their cooperation within their groups, and the attached worksheet,
which will be given for homework.