echoesof.science · Ages 6–7
Fins, gills and scales
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the game and the quiz
echoesof.science/school/fish/ages-6-7/
Read
Fish live in water. They have a backbone.
Fish do not have lungs. They breathe with gills, small slits just behind the head.
Fins help a fish swim forwards, backwards, up, down and sideways. The tail fin pushes the fish through the water.
Scales cover a fish's body like a coat of armour. They protect the fish from getting hurt.
Experiment: Tail power
- Float the cork at one end of the tray.
- Hold the pencil upright in the water behind the cork. Wave it gently from side to side. Does the cork move?
- Now hold the card upright in the water. Wave it from side to side in the same way.
- Which one moves the cork further: the thin pencil or the wide card?
- Look at a picture of a fish. Which part of the fish is like your card?
| What I waved | Did the cork move a little or a lot? |
|---|---|
| Pencil | |
| Card |
Questions
Draw a fish. Label the tail fin, the gills and the scales.
🍎Is a dolphin a fish?
yes / no
What do scales do for a fish?
Sources for every fact on this sheet: echoesof.science/school/fish/sources/