6. Feeding Fishes

Lesson at a glance: Students will explore the shape of a fishes mouth as an adaptation of its prey and environment.

Goal: Students will be able to explain the function of different shapes of fish mouths.

Oregon Content Standards:

Science

2.1 Structure and Function: Living and non-living things vary throughout the natural world.

2.1L.1 Compare and contrast characteristics and behaviors of plants and animals and the environments where they live.

Ocean Literacy: Essential Principals and Fundamental Concepts

5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

5.d. Ocean biology provides many unique examples of life cycles, adaptations and important relationships among organisms (symbiosis, predator-prey dynamics and energy transfer) that do not occur on land.

Materials:

• Feeding Fishes worksheet (see files at the bottom of the page)
• Feeding Fishes flash cards (see files at the bottom of the page)

Estimated Time: 35 minutes

Activity:

1. Give each student a Feeding Fishes worksheet.

2. Review the mouth shapes.

3. Have students make observations of different fish mouths using the feeding fishes flash cards.

4. Have students complete the worksheet.