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School of Fish Challenge

Activity

Follow the Leader to Stay Together

Practice being a school of fish! Have one person start as the “lead fish,” and the others line up behind to follow them. The leader will then change directions and speeds, and the others must imitate them closely, like a school of fish. If you stray too far or different from the group you might risk getting eaten!

Science Seed

Fish that swim in groups, called a school of fish, work together to move as one. They follow the leader closely, changing directions and speeds at the same time. This helps them stay safe from predators because it’s harder for a predator to see the exact location of one fish to catch it when they are all moving together. Fish have tiny holes in their scales in a line along the length of their body, called the lateral line, that allow the fish to feel changes in water pressure. As the fish next to them moves, they can feel the water move through the tiny holes and then they can move the same way to stay in sync with the other fish in their school. By practicing as a school of fish, you can learn how fish communicate and cooperate to protect themselves and travel together.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Geraldine Palmer Elementary

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.