Fish Dissection

I was thinking about some of the cool things I teach throughout the year and fish are one of my favorites. I love this animal group because fish are smelly, slimy, and tons of fun! I don't just show my students pictures or movies and have them label them (boring!), I give each student a minnow, a magnifying glass (hand lens) and a toothpick, then I put one on my document camera and we go to town!

I show them the eyes, gills, fins, mouth, tail, and scales. Some of them are a little squeamish at first, but once they see the others start to poke and prod their fish, they almost always join in on the fun. After I show them the different parts, I let them explore on their own. They are allowed to take it apart, open its mouth, scrape off the scales, etc. They LOVE it. The only problem with this activity is that some of them want to take their fish home, which is obviously a big no-no (being super stinky and torn to pieces and all). Sometimes I almost give them a zip lock bag, but then I think: Would I want my child to come home with a super stinky, torn up fish? Probably not. Either way, it's fun and definitely a great way for them to learn about fish. If you can't stand the smell, breathe out of your mouth! Normally it's not too bad though (and I don't have any windows in my classroom). I hope you put this on your to-do list of activities this year because it is one your students will not forget! Let me know what you think or if you have any ideas to go with this activity (: So long!

-Crazy S