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| Dallas Zoological Society Partnership : Middle School Lessons Fish, Amphibians, and Reptiles |
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Topic Overview
Quick Facts
Most fish cannot swim backwards, but some can,
such as the eel.
Most fish swim in a horizontal position. The
only fish that can swim in vertical motion is the sea horse.
There are approximately 25 thousand known kinds
of fish.
The largest fish is the whale shark which grows
to more than 50 feet
and may weigh several tons.
The smallest fish is the goby and reaches only
half an inch long in adulthood.
The longevity span is wide; some smaller reef
fishes live only a few weeks, while other fish can live up to 50 years.
The word amphibian comes from the Greek word
amphibiaon, which means both water and land.
98% of the original 5.2 million kilometers of
streams in the continental United States
have been seriously affected by habitat invasion and/or destruction, causing a
drastic decline in amphibian populations.
There has been a 50% loss of the everglades
ecosystem by the early 1990s, furthering the decline of many species of
amphibians.
There are 8,240 species of reptiles in the
world, inhabiting every continent except Antarctica.
Only a few hundred of the world's 3,000 snakes
are venomous. In the United States,
only rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and coral snakes are poisonous.
More Americans die each year from bee and wasp stings than from snake bites.
Some turtles and tortoises, including the
Eastern Box Turtle, can live for more than a century.
Komodo Dragons of Indonesia reach up to 10 feet in length, and can weigh 350 lbs.
Begin the Lesson
Fish, amphibians, and reptiles are three kingdoms of animals
that are each very unique. Body structures, behavior patterns, and lifestyles
range widely. These animals are keenly adept at adaptation. Development of fish
and amphibians is particularly fascinating with their complete physical
changes.
Whole Class Introduction to the
Lesson
You will need at least one
computer with Internet connectivity and a projection device, a classroom with
more than one computer, or access to a computer lab.� This introduction will take approximately 10
minutes to complete.
Introduce students to
the module by visiting the videos, “Funky Fish” http://www.ocean.com/mplayer/?ResourceID=101&page=9&URL=http%3A%2F%
�and
“PBS Nature: Snakes” http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/reptiles/media_players_green/snakes_lo.html.
Sample Questions:
Ask students what they know about fish,
amphibians, and reptiles.
Ask students to describe some of the animals
they saw, and how they are alike and different.
Ask students what questions they might have
about fish, amphibians, or reptiles, post these questions on a board for other
students to see. As students progress through the module, encourage them to
find the answers to these questions.
As part of the introduction, you
may want to review some of the glossary terms in advance of students going
online. At this point you can launch the WebLesson as whole-class activity
using a projection device, or you can assign students to work individually or
in teams in a computer lab.
WebLesson Sites
Introduction Fish, amphibians, and reptiles are a fascinating part of the animal kingdom. They can adapt to a wide range of habitats. This means that they can live in just about any location around the whole world.
Fish live underwater and breathe through gills. They include the bony fish such as the trout and tuna, the cartilaginous fish such as the sharks and stingrays, and the jawless fish such as the lampreys. Amphibians are extremely interesting animals to watch grow up. Beginning with their lives underwater, they become creatures that live on the land and make their homes in every ecosystem. The frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders are remarkable animals. Reptiles, consisting of the snakes and lizards are the animals that often cause fear in humans. They are quite clever. They use their intelligence to help them kill their prey. Many stories and legends include made-up reptiles such as the Loch Ness Monster and Godzilla. Reptiles are very good at adapting to their environments and usually live peacefully with other animals. Scenario Your teacher has asked you to start and take care of a mini zoo in your classroom. She would like one fish, one amphibian, and one reptile. You will need to do some research first to learn more about these amazing animals.
Lesson Pages
What do Fish Eat?
http://www.fishid.com/learnctr/fisheat.htm
Shark Diving
http://youtube.com/v/XMKtb_ZY7YY.swf&tag=shark+blue&title=Shark%20Diving&x=2 Rich Media
What is a Reptile?
http://kids.yahoo.com/animals/reptiles
Reptile Discovery Center
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Exhibit/default.cfm Rich Media
Conclusion & Project
Conclusion Fish, amphibians, or reptiles are the most adaptable animals on Earth. They live in every environment, even the harshest and most unfavorable places. They are extremely important and valuable members of the world’s ecosystem. Sadly, they are at great risk of decline and eventual extinction due to the destructive activities of humans. We need to take part in protecting the habitats that these creatures live in.
Project Describe one fish, one amphibian, and one reptile that you could keep in your classroom. Be sure to explain what they look like and what they need to survive in your classroom environment.
Glossary
cartilage - tough, elastic, connective tissue found in various parts of the body
species - basic category of animal classification, ranking below a genus and kingdom
aquifer - an underground bed or layer of earth, gravel, or porous stone that yields water
medium - the substance in which a specific organism lives and thrives
caudal fin - tail fin
pelvic fins - pair of fins located on the underside of the body, often underneath the pectoral fins
pectoral fins - paired fins found on the sides of the fish near the front, used to maneuver, the swimming fins
plankton - tiny plants or animals that float freely; larger fish eat plankton
school - a tightly packed group of fish that move together as a team
ambush - an animal that hides and waits for its prey to pass by and then surprises and attacks it
chum - chopped pieces of fish and blood used as shark bait
tag - marking animals so that biologists and zoologists can observe them at future dates
sound loop - noise that repeats over and over and creates a background sound
mate - a pair of animals that breed in order to create offspring
vocal - voice that produces songs
adaptive - an animal that is able to change in order to survive various environmental conditions
anatomy - the bodily structure of a plant or an animal or of any of its parts
constrict - squeeze prey to death
poisonous - animal that is toxic to the touch or when eaten
venomous - animal that injects poison through its teeth
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