Students investigate the feeding behaviors of different fish and collect evidence to determine the function of different mouth structures.
Using tools to model fish mouths, students learn the relationship between structure and function.
Students build understanding of the function of fish mouth structures in feeding strategies.
The activity below draws from the content in the page Structure to Function. |
Phenomenon:
Fishes with different mouth shapes eat different types of food.
How does mouth shape and structure help a fish eat its food?
Channel your inner fish! Use tools to model the structures of fishes' mouths—and then try to capture your prey!
Fish versus fishes:The word fish refers to one fish or to a group of fish of the same species. The word fishes refers to multiple species of fish. For example, 1 convict tang is a fish, 2 convict tangs are fish, and a group of 20 convict tangs are also fish. However, a convict tang together with a moray eel would be fishes. |
This teacher guide follows the procedure written here and in the student worksheet with additional instructions and guidelines. We highly recommend starting this activity by introducing the Phenomenon, Inquiry, and Guiding Questions from the top of this webpage. |
Station 1: The Cruncher (Fig. 2)
Station 3: The Point-of-Viewers
Station 4: The Sucker
Complete the activity sheet to create a guide to different types of fishes and their eating behaviors!
Teacher Tip: To reduce workload, assign individuals or groups to research some of the fish and then combine research to create a class guide. |