In this activity, students learn the essential body parts of a fish by creating their own Hudson River fish from a paper plate and craft supplies.
Students compare images of Hudson River Fish to learn more about the significance of each part in helping fish swim, eat, see, and breathe.
Teaching Tips
Positives
There is a fun song for students to sing to remember the features of a fish.
Students will love showcasing their creativity in constructing the fish.
This lesson is a great resource to connect science and art.
Additional Prerequisites
The lesson is also available in Spanish and Chinese.
The link to the Hudson River Park fish poster is broken. Teachers can find a replacement poster here.
Teachers must provide craft supplies, including tape, paper plates, coloring utensils, and construction paper.
The resource includes two student worksheets and an answer key.
Students should understand that animals have traits to serve a purpose.
Differentiation
Younger or ELL students may need additional practice pronouncing the more challenging vocabulary terms such as dorsal, ventral, pectoral, and caudal.
Students can share their fish with the class by presenting it, or teachers can display student work as a gallery walk.
If using the blank fish diagram as an assessment or activity, teachers can give students who struggle with handwriting the option to cut and paste from the word bank instead.
Teachers can display fish permanently somewhere in the classroom or school.
Though the Hudson River Park created this lesson for use in New York City classrooms, teachers in other areas can modify it by using images of local fish instead of Hudson River fish.
Students can discuss why it is important to have many different kinds of fish in an area, and teachers can relate this to biodiversity loss due to climate change.
Scientist Notes
With the help of this lesson plan, students may learn about fish habitats, their anatomy and form, and biodiversity conservation strategies.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
1-LS1-1 Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
National Core Arts Standards
Visual Arts: Standard 2 - Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
VA:Cr2.1.3a Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.
