Hanging Japanese Fish

Global Goal/Rationale: This unit provides students with a fun and creative way to learn about marine life. Students will gain an understanding of what types of organisms and animals live in the ocean and how they interact with each other. Students will also learn about some of the valuable resources the ocean provides, such as fish that we eat.

I. Lesson Goal/Rationale: The students will discuss what different types of fish look like around the world, in particular the Japanese gold fish. They will learn that there are different types of these goldfish. They will also discuss how popular of a pet these beautiful fish are, and how to properly take care of them. Contrary to popular belief, and name, Japanese goldfish do not originate from Japan.

II. Objectives:

After this lesson, students will be able to:

Discuss where Japanese goldfish originated.

Identify at least three different types of Japanese gold fish.

Know that all Japanese goldfish belong to the carp family.

Understand how to take care of goldfish as pets.

Create a Japanese goldfish windsock.

III. Standards:

The following RIBTS will be addressed in this lesson:

Teacher has a broad knowledge base of Japanese goldfish. (RIBTS 1.1)

Children will discuss where Japanese goldfish originate from and how they differ from other marine life already discussed. (RIBTS 5.1)

Students will be making a Japanese goldfish windsock. (RIBTS 5.5)

Lesson is designed to last one hour with left over time for closure and review.(RIBTS 6.4)

Teacher will ask children to compare and contrast the different types of goldfish. (RIBTS 8.1)

Based on prior knowledge of students, the lesson plan is designed based on all of the different learning style and its effectiveness will be assessed on their performance.(RIBTS 9.5)

IV. Learner factors:
This lesson will accommodate different learning styles. There will be verbal instruction for auditory learners, visual instruction for the visual learners and hands on instruction for the sensory learners. Students with visual or hearing impairments should sit by the instructor for extra assistance.

V. Environmental factors:

The students will be working at cafeteria tables for this lesson. They will be placed in heterogeneous groups ranging in ability so that the higher achieving students will be grouped with average and below average students. This way the higher achieving students have somewhere to focus their knowledge, and the lower achieving students have someone to look up to for help. The teacher needs to be aware of any visual or hearing impairment so that he/she can make proper seating arrangements. (i.e. sitting close to the teacher)The teacher should also be aware of students who do or do not work well together. Students who do not get along or who talk too much together should not be placed in the same group to avoid conflict and or off-task behavior.

VI. Materials and resources:

different colored construction paper

different types of colored paper (i.e. wrapping paper, magazines)

paste or glue sticks

scissors

crayons and/or markers

paper streamers

hole puncher

ribbon

black marker

VII. Instructional Sequence:

1.
Motivation: - First ask the children what they think about Japanese goldfish, in particular, where they come from, how many types there are, if they would make good pets, etc...,then show the students a finished windsock and inform them that this will be today's activity.

2. Teacher modeling/demonstration:
The teacher will be demonstrating how to make a craft. The craft is a Japanese gold fish windsock.

3. Check for understanding:

Ask students question to test their knowledge base, and to open the floor for discussion. Ask Questions like? "Would you like to have a Japanese goldfish for a pet?" "Why or why not?" "What types of goldfish are your favorites? Why?"

While making the windsock, observe the students.

Are the students listening to instruction?

Are they following directions with out difficulty?

Evaluate the lesson. Does the lesson seem too easy? Too difficult?

4. Guided Practice or activity:

The teacher should go step-by-step through the activity with the children. This will prove beneficial to the students so that they can see how the project is progressing. It will also give them a model to look at if they don't quite understand the verbal instruction.

5. Independent practice or activity

Once the students have safely cut out the colored scales, allow them to glue them on and color their fish independently. Allow them the opportunity to be creative. These children are taking home a great piece of art to share with their families that exemplifies the day's lesson.

6. Closure

Phases:

i. Describe, compare and search for patterns:
Create a chart of the ocean. Make sure the ocean displays the different depths. Place Pictures of sharks, whales, and fish on the chart according to where they live in the ocean.

ii. Explain similarities and differences:
What types of animals live in the same depth range in the ocean? What animals live in total opposite levels? Why do you think this is so? Analyze the difference between the deepest level of water and the shallowest. Why are there so few animals living in these areas? Where is the heaviest populated level? Why do you think this is so?

iii. Hypothesize outcomes for different conditions:
What do you think would happen if the animals that lived at the bottom of the ocean switched places with animals that lived near the surface? Would they survive? Why or why not? What, if any changes, would they need to make in order to survive?

iv. Generalize to form broad relationships:
If sharks can survive in many levels of water, what similar characteristic would other animals need to possess in order to do the same?

VIII. Assessment Plan
This lesson will have proven effective if students can:

Discuss where Japanese fish originated.

Identify at least three different species Japanese goldfish.

Classify Japanese goldfish as members of the carp family.

Explain how to properly care for Japanese goldfish as pets.

Create a hanging Japanese goldfish windsock to take home.

Rubric Checklist:

3-Exemplary:

Student stays on task for the entire lesson

Student follows directions exactly

Student finishes project in a neat and orderly fashion

Student can identify three or more types of Japanese goldfish

Student has clear understanding of animal classification

2- Satisfactory

Student stays on task for a majority of the lesson with little prompt

Student follows directions adequately

Student finishes project and is somewhat neat

Student can identify at least three different types of goldfish

Student has basic knowledge of animal classification

1-Unsatisfactory

Student follows little or no direction

Student does not finish project, or finishes project below potential

Student can not identify three different types of goldfish

Student does not have a clear understanding of animal classification