Something Fishy encourages students to explore the problems that aquarium fish can cause when unintentionally introduced into a river system — an issue often misunderstood by many children and their parents.
Working through this scenario students are informed, in a fun but realistic way, of the important reasons why goldfish and other aquarium fish should not be introduced to Australian waterways.
In many states and territories it is illegal to release alien fish into an Australian waterway. It is also illegal in many states and territories to release alien fish species caught by an angler back into a waterway.
This activity allows students to make appropriate decisions and engage in a realistic scenario whilst acknowledging:
It is recommended teachers work through the activity prior to student involvement. On average the online activity takes around 40 minutes to complete.
To gain further information on this topic prior to teaching it in the classroom is recommended that you examine sections of the following:
Using computer based technologies, students make informed decisions about releasing goldfish into a river system and what consequences may follow.
Students will:
Students can work on this activity individually or in pairs.
Note
Introduce the topic by discussing with the students what they think about goldfish and the role they play as one of the most sold aquarium pets around the world. List the benefits people may receive from owning goldfish and other aquarium fish. Benefits may include:
Step 1
Ask the question — Do you think it is wrong to release goldfish into a river?
Note: There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The purpose is to provide a discussion point for students so if there are many different answers to the question more discussion and reflection should occur.
Step 2
Before students commence the activity they must carefully read through the list of instructions. These points are highlighted in upper case at the beginning of the activity (located at the ‘start’ symbol). Teacher reinforcement / guidance may be required so also familiarise yourself with the list of instructions.
Step 3
Allow students to progress at their own pace.
Step 4
The content of Something Fishy is intended to provide students with a level of understanding on the following list of learning objectives:
Step 5
Once the activity has been completed, encourage further discussion amongst students to see if their opinions or behaviours have changed.
Encourage students to discuss their findings with their friends and family.
Step 6
Extension opportunities
Student participation would include:
- researching native fish found in your area
- recording native fish species in aquarium shops
- researching and creating a suitable native fish habitat
- maintenance of the native fish habitat
- the creation of information posters highlighting native fish found locally
Many waterways including rivers, lakes, wetlands and creeks can be found near a school. To assist your students in examining and understanding Australian river systems you can contact the following organisations*.
- WaterWatch
- RiverSmart (ACT only)
- Greening Australia
- Landcare Australia
- Wetland Care Australia
*(Note: information current as of 2010)
Step 7