Using tropical fish, students will match the head, front fin, back fin and tail with the right fish. This helps students recognize patterns and match edges to make complete pictures. It is meant to improve motor skills and pattern recognition, while enjoying the sense of puzzle completion and learning about animals.
Applying teaching pedagogy, this simple activity addresses pattern completion, reasoning by analogy, serial reasoning and spatial visualization, measuring a student’s nonverbal abilities including critical thinking and problem solving using nonverbal reasoning skills in preschool to kindergarten aged children.
Materials:
• printed page with animal pieces and page with animals named for later discussion
• scissors
• access to school laminator
Directions:
1) Copy, laminate and cut out the pieces for 4 tropical fish.
2) Mix them all up in a pile. Have single, paired or small groups of students build and name the 4 animals.
3) Once they are done, talk about the 4 animals, their startling colors and how these help them in their habitat.
