All About Fish, Sharks, and Rays

How much to you know about the 28,000 species of fish in the world? Did you know that sharks and rays are a type of fish? Have you ever seen a mermaid’s purse – an egg case for some shark species? Did you know some camouflage fish like a flounder have both eyes on the same side of their body? Think you know how many teeth a shark looses and grows back over it’s life span…. it’s 30,000! Did you know that manta rays fly above the ocean? Get ready to be astonished with this printable science lesson where you will explore all about fish for kids from kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade students! Use the fish facts worksheet and engaging activities to make a shark lesson plans.

All About Fish

You probably know what a fish is, but did you know that sharks are considered fish whereas dolphins are not?  Scientists say that if it has fins for swimming and gills for breathing, it’s a fish. So whales and dolphins need to breathe air, therefore they are not fish. However sharks, manta ray, and lamprey are all classified as fish. However, bony fish are very different from cartilaginous fish such as sharks and rays. Come find out about fish anatomy, shapes, defenses, life cycles, senses, buoyancy, and more with this fascinating ocean animals unit on all about fish.

Whether you are looking for a fun science unit, supplement to your zoology / biology lessons, are following your child’s  interest, are planning fun summer learning, creating a fascinating science center, or planning for next years homeschool science lesson – you are going to love this fun, interesting, and thorough lesson! This all about fish for kids lesson is perfect for kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, grade 7, and grade 8. There is truly something for everyone!

Fish for Kids

The pdf file contains lots of facts, fun science experiments, animal craft, test (with the answer keys), creative writing, and worksheets to review what kids have learned like label the anatomy and life cycles. You will have so much fun with these learning activities and educational science unit. In this 43 page pack, students will learn lots of interesting facts in easy-to-read text with cute clipart to keep kids engaged. You will find information about fish with scales, sharks with re growing teeth, and rays that can actually soar above the ocean!

All the pages in this fish for kids, except for the flashcards, are in black and white to save you on printing costs. You can read the material on your laptop, desktop or phone if you want to save even more printing and paper costs. We like to print the pages and the kids color the cute blackline pictures as we learn about these unique and amazing animals that live in the water.

Fish Facts Worksheet

The printable color flashcards include a set for fish shapes, fish defenses, colorful fish, super cool sharks, and amazing rays. Use these beautiful cards to remember what you’ve learned, save them to explore later, or use them to take notes on the back.

Included on the pages are instructions for a simple science experiment that will help kids understand the swim bladder and buoyancy for these amazing aquatic animals. Doing hands on activities make things so much more memorable so they retain the information better.

Fish Facts for Kids

Kids remember best by not only reading, but by doing. So we’ve included various worksheets for kids to use the information they learned to complete these fish worksheets. Each printable includes an answer key! Children can  review what they’ve learned in this fun lesson with these printable worksheets:

• What is a Fish poster to color
• Brown Banded Bamboo Shark Life Cycle to read, color, and learn
• Sequence the Salmon Life Cycle page
• Label the Parts of  Fish Anatomy (pelvic fin, dorsal fin, scales, anal fin, eye, operculum, pectoral fin, cloudal fin, mouth, lateral line0
• Label the Parts of a Shark Anatomy (dorsal fin, eye, gill slits, caudal fin, pectoral fin, mouth, ampullae of lorenzini, lateral lines, nare)
• Sequence the Whale Shark Life Cycle
• Ray & Sharks Coloring Page
• Fish Coloring Page
• Shark Fact or Opinion
• Compare bony fish and cartilaginous fish using the Venn Diagram
• Great White Shark Text Detective
• Clown Fish and Anemone Text Detective
• Fish Test (with answer key) – includes match the key word / vocabulary and short answers.

Fish THeme

We have various ways for you to write a shark report or fish report using our templates. We also have super cute lined writing paper and creative writing prompts for a variety of projects from science or creative based.

• What I know About Fish – with different sections that include suggestions of what to write down
• All About Sharks – create a cute mini book with prompts for writing what you’ve learned about sharks on each page
• Fantastic Fish – with several spots to add information and cute fish clipart decorations to color with crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Organizing Writing
• All About Fish – ruled lines with cute fish image
• All About Sharks – ruled lines with grinning shark image

Sharks for Kids

Young learners especially enjoy printable crafts and projects to reinforce what they have learned. We’ve included a fish life cycle spinner to color, cut, spin, and learn. Plus, don’t miss this adorable printable shark craft! You can print the happy shark in color or black & white, with information pre-printed or for you to add information, and make it a 3d toothy project!

Don’t miss the other animal studies we’ve created!

• All About Whales
• All About Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, walrus)
• All About Herps (sea turtles, sea snakes, aquatic frogs, toads, salamander)
• All About Fish, Sharks facts for Kids, and amazing rays!
• All About Mollusks, Crustaceans, & Cephalopods (crabs, lobsters, octopus, bivalves, clams)
• All About Echinoderms & Cnidarians (Jellyfish, Sea Stars, Sand Dollars, Coral)

   

Because of the sheer amount of time this resource took to create, there is a small fee to purchase this impressive pack filled with information, links to animal videos, science worksheets, science craft, and more! But you know me, my heart is to keep things free (or as close to free as I can possibly make them) so this amazing unit for you to study fish AND study sharks is only $1.99!

 

For use in a classroom or co-op, please purchase a teacher licensed version.

** Please note this is a printable unit. You will not be mailed any physical product.

Or purchase the entire 7 lesson, 250+ page Ocean Unit! (learn more)