Do Fish Have a Home?

• This lesson discusses research surrounding the coastal habitats of fish, where habitat protection efforts would be most helpful, and what it will take for fish populations to thrive.
• This resource includes a downloadable article which includes vocabulary terms, reading comprehension questions, and references.
• This resource site includes videos to further student understanding of overfishing and other threats to fish populations and what we can do to stop the population decreases.

Positives

• The engaging PDF included with this resource includes an effective introduction, highlighted text, photographs, and a glossary to aid comprehension.
• This is a brief article that introduces students to scientific papers and the scientific method.

Additional Prerequisites

• The research in this resource highlights the juvenile European bass, so it may be helpful to give students background on this particular fish and where the research was conducted.
• To access the Teacher's Key, teachers must sign up with their email and school information.

Differentiation

• Give students access to the provided article and decide which readers may be able to read the article independently and which ones might benefit from following along with the second video, which provides a read-aloud version of the article.
• Put students into pairs or small groups to have them discuss their answers to the "Check Your Understanding" questions before asking them to provide written answers as a way to assess student understanding.
• To extend the lesson, have students watch this TED video about the current state of fish populations and discuss the questions as a class.
• For another extension, use this video for students to better understand the need for regulations and protections, and then ask students to brainstorm ways that fish in the open ocean could be better protected.
• Art classes could watch the first video in this resource, followed by a discussion about the decline of the salmon population as they analyze this watercolor by scientist and artist Jill Pelto or analyze this triptych addressing overfishing and bycatch.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.