Antarctica/Exploration ICEBLOCK/Teachers Backpack/Dress a Fish Activity

Dress an Antarctic Fish Activity

  Fish Facts:  Fish appeared on earth 550 million yeaars ago.  
  Most fish are covered with a slimy, mucous covering (slime coat) and scales for protection.  
  Most fish have a swim bladder which is used for buoyancy.  
  Fish belong to the Kingdom Animalia and the Phylum Chordata.

1. Ask for a volunteer with a good sense of humour.
2. Explain that the volunteer will pose as an Antarctic fish. Various objects will represent the adaptations of the fish or the physical structures and functions that enable the animal to survive in its environment.
3. Place the following items on the 'volunteer Antarctic fish' and ask for suggestions about the meaning of the prop and the usefulness of the adaptation it represents.

Prop	Adaptation	Function
Strainer Shin guards Dark shades Flippers Masking tape Large nose Floaties Rain coat Hard hat or helmet Audio ear plugs Mood ring Bottle with 'Antifreeze' label	Gills Scales Eyes Paired fins Lateral line Smell Swim bladder Slime coating Operculum Hearing Chromoatophore A kind of antifreeze in the fish's body	Filter oxygen out of the water for the fish to breathe Body protection Poor eyesight Balance and locomotion Detects pressure waves in the water Strong sense in fish Buoyancy Protective film that covers a fish's body Protects the gills Internal ear Pigment cell found in the skin that changes to meet the colour of the environment Stops fish in Antarctica from freezing!