Higher:
Is able to explain how fish are unique from amphibians and reptiles by comparing them
Middle:
Can describe the characteristics of a fish
Lower:
Is able to identify a range of common features found in fish
Lesson Recap Starter: Think back to the last lesson. Explain the features of a bird that makes it unique from other animals.
Lesson Starter: The common dace is a freshwater fish. It is an inhabitant of the rivers and streams in parts of Europe and Asia. Describe how dace are different from a common frog.
Presentation - Starter Slide
Explore the story/presentation and learn about the differences between certain classifications of animals, and that there are some who break the rules!
Talk Partners - Explain how fish are different from amphibians and reptiles.
Key Concept:
During this unit, each lesson contains a key concept question housed in the '30 Second Challenge' slide. To help children master this content so the knowledge moves from their short term memory to their long term memory, at the beginning of the follow on lesson the question from the previous lesson is revisited.
The questions covered during this unit include:
1. How many different habitats can you name?
2. Which scientist came up with the system for grouping living things? What is the word they gave to grouping living things?
3. Explain the differences between invertebrates and vertebrates. Give examples of each.
4. What are the main differences between warm and cold-blooded animals?
5. Explain the features of a bird that makes it unique from other animals?
6. Explain how fish are different from amphibians and reptiles.
Presentation
Expert Film: Zoologist Mike Linley talks about the common characteristics of fish, amphibians and reptiles.
How we deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks:
2 - Learning from career and labour market information: Pop along to Developing Experts career’s zone to find out about jobs in your area.
4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers: This unit showcases careers that relate to light. Access our 360° virtual work tours.
7 - Encounters with Further and Higher Education: Pop along to Developing Experts career’s zone to find out about training providers in your area.
Presentation - Expert film.
Magnetic Fish Game
Watch the Lesson Assignment film.
Conduct some research on different types of fish using today's lesson, the internet and the books.
Using the handout, children are to colour some different fish on one side of the sheet, by observing them. Cut fish out, and on the reverse side write down the name of the fish and one fact about each fish i.e. where it lives, what it eats etc.
Play a magnetic fish game by putting a paperclip on the fish, catch the fish with a magnet. Once caught, children can relay facts to each other and quiz each other on the fish.
Magnetic Fish Game
Library books, internet
Handout
Coloured Pens/pencils
Paperclips
Magnets
Children to write down the facts they have found about fish in their exercise books.
Quiz
With their talk partners, the children are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.
Quiz in presentation
How are fish unique?
How are they different to amphibians?
How are they different to reptiles?
What are the key characteristics of fish?
Quizzes available in pupil zone.
Unit knowledge organiser and quiz available in unit documents area.
To describe a fish, we can say it has...
A fish is different from a reptile because...
A fish is different from an amphibian because...
The Science Behind the Science
The main difference between reptiles, amphibians and fish is down to their breathing mechanism. Reptiles breathe in oxygen from the air, fish breathe in oxygen from water and amphibians are able to do both.
Despite this, all three are cold blooded animals, which is also known as endothermic animals. Millions of years ago, amphibians and reptiles evolved from fish, which is why they have so many similarities, such as endothermism and scales.
Some species of reptile live in water or around water and they are able to hold their breath for long periods of time. For example, sea kraits are a species of snake and they can hold their breath for an hour before they need to come up for air.
Explore and use classification keys to help them group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment and put vertebrate animals into groups, for example: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals; and invertebrates into snails and slugs, worms, spiders, and insects.
The study of the characteristics, systems, and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with the environment.
Grouping and classifying
Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
Grade 5 Animals
Grade 3 - Life Science - Living Things - Living things grow and change - Animal Life Cycles - How do reptiles, fish, and birds change as they grow? Grade 4 - Life Science - Living Things - The Animal Kingdom - Animals with Backbones - Definition of vertebrates (Fish)