OVERVIEW
During
our electronic field trip to SERC, students sampled fish swimming
near the shore of the Rhode River.
Before our trip to “WHERE THE RIVER MEETS THE SEA” on
April 30, 2002, students learned how to identify some of the fish
that are common to the Rhode River and the Chesapeake Bay.
OBJECTIVES:
The
students will be able to:
1.
Identify five common fish species of the Rhode River and or
the Chesapeake Bay.
2.
Recognize features of these fish that make them easy to
identify.
3.
Measure and weigh fish species correctly.
4.
Maintain a field notebook for record keeping.
5.
Describe their findings and observations scientifically in
their field notebook.
6.
Diagram or sketch their observations in the field notebook.
7.
Use Inspiration software to create visual diagrams
that reveal interrelationships and interdependencies.
8.
Use a digital camera to create a visual database.
9.
Explain each fish’s niche within its ecological community.
PROCEDURE
-
Students
will read to learn more about fish in the Rhode River and the
Chesapeake Bay.
-
Students will become familiar with a variety of animals and plants
common to the Rhode River and the Chesapeake Bay.
-
Students
will learn about their fishes using the following Fish Field Guide
on the Internet
http://www.enature.com/guides/
select_Fishes.asp?curGroup=Fishes
-
Students
will use a digital camera to record and document their explorations.
-
Students
will use a field notebook for record keeping and to annotate their
photographic results. (measuring, describing, diagramming)
-
Students
will use Inspiration to help process and organize the information in
their field notebooks.
INSTRUCTIONS
Students
will research these five species of fish and record their findings
in their field notebooks.
Students
will read the booklet, Exploring the Chesapeake At The
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center by A. Mark Haddon.
A.
Students will
use page 15, External Anatomy Of A Fish, as a model for their
diagrams.
Students
will select 5 of the species of fish that are found in the Rhode
River at different times of the year. (Pg. 16-17) Exploring the
Chesapeake At The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center by
A. Mark Haddon.
Students
will use the Internet to obtain additional information about their
fishes.
Notations
will include fish coloring and mouth shape.
Notations on how mouth shape depends on the kind of food they
eat should be included.
Students
will use the Estuary Guide ~ Smithsonian Estuarine Activities (A
field guide to the plants and animals found in estuaries.) by Bob
Baker, Sally Gucinski, and Katharine Kenyon.
1.
Photograph the fish if possible or find a photograph of the
fish.
2.
Record measurements (weigh and measure)
3.
Describe the fish, concentrating on pointing our what may not
be obvious in the photograph. (“Fish feed in a variety of ways,
and different species have different shaped mouths depending on the
kinds of food.”)
4.
Diagram or sketch the fish from the photograph.
This will sharpen your observation skills.
5.
Use Inspiration software to create a visual diagram to
illustrate how their facts and ideas fit together.
EXTENSION
IDEAS
Students
will create a Power Point of their findings using the digital
photographs and information recorded in their field notebooks.
Students
will use the Internet to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay, the
Rhode River and the plants, fish, and animals common to them.
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