Classroom Activity: Grades 4 - 6

MAGNIFICENT MAMMALS OR FANTASTIC FISHES?

Materials: Student Activity Sheet

Objectives: Students will be able to distinguish between mammals and fish

Background: Although sea animals all live in the same environment, some have very different requirements. The mammals of the sea, including seals, dolphins, and whales are different than fish. Like all mammals, seals, dolphins, and whales breathe air into their lungs, which means they must come to the surface to breathe. Fish use their gills to breathe and breathe the oxygen that is dissolved in the water. The mammals are warm-blooded and maintain a constant body temperature. Fish are cold-blooded and their temperature changes to match their surroundings. Mammals give birth to live young, while fish usually lay eggs.

Procedure: Discuss the background information with the students.

• Is a whale a type of fish? (No).
• What are whales? (Mammals).
• What are some mammals on land? (Humans, dogs, cats, cows, pigs).
• What are some mammals of the sea? (Whales, which include dolphins and porpoises, seals, sea lions, walruses).
• Do mammals, such as humans, have eggs or live young? (Mammals bear live young)
• Do mammals have fur and hair? (Yes).
• How do mammals breathe? (Mammals have lungs and breathe oxygen from the air).
• Do mammals remain a constant temperature or change with the weather? (Mammals are warm-blooded, which means they stay a constant temperature.
• Do fish bear live young? (No, fish lay eggs).
• Do fish have hair and fur? (No, fish have scales).
• How do fish breathe? (Fish breathe oxygen through gills underwater).

Create a list on the board of marine mammal characteristics and fish characteristics. Discuss each of the characteristics in detail. Emphasize that these are not the only two types of animals in the sea. Ask the students to name animals that don't fit in either of these two categories. (Sea turtles, opihi, lobsters, crabs, urchins, etc, are all invertebrates and are even further divided into categories such as mollusks, coral, crustaceans, echinoderms). Hand out the activity sheet and go through the directions.

Extension: Create two collages - one of marine mammals and one of ocean fish. Have the students look through books of marine animals, coral reef animals, and whales. Each student could pick out one fish and one marine mammal to draw. Other animals in the books may not fit in either category. Discuss the category these animals would fit in - many are invertebrates (animals without a backbone). Fish and marine mammals have backbones. For each of the two collages, use sheets of blue butcher paper, glue on the students artwork and at the bottom of each poster, write some of the characteristics of fish and marine mammals, such as where they breathe or how they bear young.

Click here for "Student Activity Sheet"