Project Oceanography
Fish Shape
A fish's size, fins, and shape can tell us a lot about them! Learners explore fish anatomy to see how species use camouflage, scales, shape, and coloration to survive. The lesson includes advanced vocabulary such as fusiform shape,...
National Wildlife Federation
Create a Fish
Don't just teach learners to fish, but to create fish. The class discusses fish heads and predicts whether where the fish might live and what it eats. Given an index card with a fish adaptation written on it, pupils construct an...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Fish Morphology
Life comes in all different shapes and sizes, and fish are no exception. Here, young scientists create fish prints as they learn how specific characteristics allow different species to survive in their particular habitats.
California Academy of Science
Fish Prints
What do a dead fish, conservation, and paint have in common? The answer is a great lesson about fish anatomy, fun print making techniques, and unsustainable fishing practices. The class will start by making fish prints with a...
Curated OER
A Fish Tale
Students conduct an experiment. In this fish instructional activity, students discover how fish cells respond to fresh and salty water and if temperature effect the movement of a fish's gills. Students also identify the characteristics...
Curated OER
Investigating a Fresh Fish
Fourth graders investigate the anatomy of a fish. In this adaptations activity, 4th graders look at fresh fish and identify their adaptations and decide where they think the fish may live. Students draw and label the fish and its features.
Curated OER
Get to Know a Fish
Learners discover the anatomy of a fish by identifying its body parts. In this oceanography instructional activity, students view a live fish in their classroom and draw a poster of the fish one body part at a time while identifying it....
Curated OER
Build-A-Fish
Students identify the basic external anatomy of a fish. After identifying the parts of the fish, students explain the function of each body part and how it is related to the whole. They discover how the shape of a fish help to propel it...
Curated OER
Pacific Salmon and Mountain Pine Beetle
Learners compare fish anatomy. In this teacher demonstrated dissection lesson, students compare fish anatomy to that of humans. They explore different fish and their unique properties. There are 4 distinct activities which can be...
Curated OER
Trout Cookies
Students explore the external anatomy of a fish. In this anatomy and adaptations instructional activity, students look at an image of a trout and identify its various external features including fins, eyes, spots, parr marks and lateral...
Curated OER
Animal Movement in Water
Young scholars explore oceanography by participating in field trip activities. In this fish characteristics instructional activity, students attend a trip to a local beach or reservoir and collect different specimens in order to examine...
Curated OER
Animals Project for German Students
Who doesn't love animals? Young learners will be excited to develop their vocabulary and categorize animals into different lists. This includes a fun extension activity that encourages the older learners to create a PowerPoint...
Curated OER
What is Gyotaku
Third graders make a T-shirt. In this fish printing lesson plan, 3rd graders learn about Gyotaku and the history of fish printing. The teacher demonstrates how to do a fish printing for a T-shirt and then students make their own T-shirts...
Curated OER
How Are Open Ocean Organisms Structured for Their Environment?
Students explore biology by conducting an animal dissection. In this oceanography lesson plan, students identify the life cycle of a squid and other animals that are involved with commercial fishing. Students dissect a squid in class and...
Curated OER
Wonderful Whales
Primary marine biologists consider the largest living animals on Earth, the whales. Introduce them to general anatomy, unique adaptations, and behaviors. Teach them to sing a song that will help them remember some of these facts....
Curated OER
Measuring Animal Sizes (and Relative Sizes in our Animal Environment)
Young scholars discover the actual size and weight of many insects and animals. In this biology lesson plan, students investigate animals and insects to determine their actual weight and size. In groups, young scholars create an animal...
Tasha McKelvey
Clay Whistles
Create clay whistles with your elementary or middle school students. The project is outlined in great detail here, complete with step-by-step photographs, finished examples, a materials list, student handouts, and a rubric. Students...
Curated OER
Dream Stream
Investigate the parts of a healthy stream to build content-specific vocabulary and ecological awareness. The class builds vocabulary and determines why clean water is important for trout. They design a shoe box to show what a clean...
Curated OER
Classification and Identification
Students, after exploring and analyzing diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their association to marine sciences, identify and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes/characteristics. They research and create their own...