Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes

Tune In: Fishing for the future

15 minutes

Find Out: Helping the scientists

20 minutes

Take Action: What did you find?

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

learn about why and how we should fish in a way that doesn’t harm marine ecosystems.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify what a fish is and where it lives
understand the difference between a juvenile and a mature fish
suggest ways we can all help fish.

Tune In: Fishing for the future

Preparation

Print and cut out the Paper Fish and measure each large fish, adding the measurement under the third column ('How big is the fish?') on the Fishing Worksheet. If you want individual copies of this factsheet, you can print as many amended factsheets as you need. The large fish represents the great fish that students can catch. You should then place all fish - large and small - in a bucket and place the bucket at the front of the classroom.

Step 1

Begin the lesson by inviting students to participate in a class discussion around the following questions:

What is a fish?
What do you already know about fish?
Where do fish live?
Have you ever seen one?
Have you ever caught a fish?

Step 2

Now, show the students the bucket with the fish inside, saying to them, ‘look what you caught on the weekend’. Gently lift the paper fish out one by one, while explaining to the students that all fish need to be sorted before we can decide if we are going to keep them or return them to the sea.

Open a discussion with the students to investigate the different ways that they think fish could be sorted (e.g. colour, size, shape, types etc.)

Step 3

Explain to the students that the size of a fish matters. Different types of fish grow to different sizes. Fish need to be at a certain age before they can reproduce (lay eggs and have babies). Scientists collect information about fish, learning how old they are and what age they can breed and have their own babies. Generally, the bigger the fish, the older they are. However, some types of fish take a long time to grow and can be really old before they can breed (for example, Orange Roughy is 40 years of age before it breeds!) If we take fish when they are small, they may not have had time to breed. This would be unsustainable because the fish has not had time to breed and make more fish like itself.

When you go fishing, you need to think about each fish and whether it is a good fish or a great fish:

A good fish is a fish that is growing well but isn’t the right size to be taken out of the water, so it needs to be carefully put back into the water so it can keep growing until it’s old enough to breed.
A great fish is a fish that is the correct size and has had time to breed. This fish can be taken from the water (harvested) and can be eaten by us!

Find Out: Helping the scientists

Step 1

Explain to students that they are now going to help scientists work out which of the fish is a good fish and which is a great fish. The students will do this by sorting the fish in the bucket by their size.

Depending on age and ability, students can work individually or collaboratively in small teams (1-3 students). Mixed ability groups work well in this activity.

Provide a ruler, pencil/pen and a copy of the Fishing Worksheet to each of the groups.

Demonstrate to the class how you measure a fish (from mouth to tip of the tail) so they can see what they need to do to complete the activity. Clearly show how the table is used to find out what fish it is and to record the information about the fish.

Steps for sorting fish:

One student takes one fish from the bucket and takes it back to the group. The student carefully lays down the fish.
Together the students work out what type of fish it is using the Student Worksheet.
Using a ruler the students measure how big the fish is.
If the fish is the correct size it can be kept.
If it is not the correct size the group needs to decide what they need to do with the fish (i.e. return it to the bucket so it can go back to the sea).
Students must also consider how many fish they can take in one fishing trip. A great rule is to only ever take the fish that you are going to eat yourself!

Each group must measure and assess at least two fish; however, if time permits, you could allow groups to assess more fish.

Take Action: What did you find?

Discuss with the students what they found in the activity. As you talk, invite students to share the fish they caught with the class, talking about what they did and how they decided which ones could be kept.

Consider the following points:

How many fish did you catch and measure?
What was the biggest fish you caught?
What was the smallest fish you caught?
How many fish did you get to keep? Which ones?
How many did you have to put back? Which ones?
What different types of fish did you catch?
How big did the different types of fish have to be?
Why do we have rules to protect fish? Why can’t we just take as many fish as we like and at any size?

As you talk, lead students to the idea that all states in Australia have rules about fishing. The rules are made into regulations and must be followed by people when they fish. People need to have a fishing licence and always make sure they do not take more than what they are allowed or can use. We all have a role to play in looking after our oceans, beaches and living creatures.

Reflection

Invite students to think about the following question, and to create a picture (drawing, painting, collage or other) to explain their answer to the question:

How can I help the fish of the ocean when I go fishing?

Display the artworks around the classroom and place a piece of blank paper or a stack of sticky-notes next to each artwork for writing feedback. Use a gallery walk format to provide peer feedback on artworks. Walk around the room as a class and at each artwork invite students to suggest their thoughts on the artwork; for example what works well, what they like, and what else could be included to make the artwork even more interesting or amazing. Remind students to be kind, specific and helpful when providing feedback:

Tips for providing feedback

Be kind - It can be hard to share your ideas with others, so remain kind and supportive.
Be specific - Be clear about what you think and why. Rather than saying, ‘I like the colours, ’ say something like ‘, I like the ways those colours help create a mood that supports your message.
Be helpful - Try not to say what is strong or weak, but also make suggestions about how things could be improved.

Extension

Share the following book with students: Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker.

Use the text to develop connections between caring for the ocean and caring for living things. This book explores a young diver's feelings about the ocean and his catch. It is a great book for discussions about catch size and to introduce simple concepts of ocean conservation.

Assessment

Teachers can use the following items as part of their formative assessment:

Sharing ideas on how fish are grouped.
Measuring using a ruler.
Using a table to sort information.

For summative assessment, visit the Drawing Conclusions lesson: Blue: Ocean Guardians Caring For Our Oceans – F to 2.

Take it further

Invite students to apply their learning in a real-world context by participating in the lesson: Ocean Guardians Being Turtle-Friendly - Social Action - Year F, 1 & 2.

One Fish, Two Fish, Good Fish, Great Fish

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

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