Fish Eyes Mini-unit

Ehlert, Lois. (1990). Fish Eyes. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Learning Objectives:

Count with understanding and recognize {how many| in sets of

objects

Connect number words and numerals to the quantities they

represent, using various physical models and representations

Understand the effects of adding and subtracting whole numbers

Develop and use strategies for whole number computations, with a

focus on addition and subtraction

Use a variety of methods and tools to compute, including objects,

mental computation, estimation, paper and pencil

Math Vocabulary to Use count graph subtract add plus

minus equals less more

Fishing for Numbers Print, cut, and laminate the numbered fish cards on the following

pages.

Make a fishing pole by tying one end of a piece of yarn or string to

a wooden dowel rod. Tie a magnet to the other end of the piece

of yarn or string.

Spread the fish cutouts around a small blow-up swimming pool or

cut a large round shape out of blue bulletin board paper to make

water.

Students can {go fishing” in the “pond.” Have them {catch| the fish

and add the numbers together. Have them use counters if needed.

Ask students to put fish back into the pond and subtract that

number from the total for subtraction practice.

Goldfish Cracker Addition Give each child a cup of 10 goldfish crackers and a blue 9 X 12 sheet

of construction paper (for the pond).

Each page in the book has an addition problem at the bottom. Read

the sentence and have the students put the appropriate number

of fish crackers on their paper.

Repeat this for all of the addition problems in the book. Have the

children make up a few of their own and share them with a partner.

Fish Graphing Have students answer the author’s question at the end of the

book. (Use the black and white fish cutouts for the graph)

Create a class graph. {Do you wish to be a Fish?|

Analyze the graph.

Fish Eyes Class Book Create a class book patterned after Lois Ehlert’s book Fish Eyes.

There are two ways to make the book. A student does 1, a student

does 2, a student does 3, etc. or students can use a number

generator such as dice or playing cards to choose their number.

If going in numerical order, have students use 2 colors of unifix

cubes to make a combination of the number they were given. For

example: If there number was 5, they may have a tower of 3 yellow

cubes and 2 red ones. When using number generator, have students

add the 2 dice rolled or the 2 cards pulled together for the total

number of fish. For example: 2 dots + 3 dots = 5 dots total

Page Example: If my number is 9, my page would look like this: I

would write the numeral 9 in the box in the top left corner. Then I

would write {Nine (describing word) Fish. For example: Nine shiny fish

on the blanks next to the box at the top. I would use crayons,

markers, stickers, or stamps to make fish that matched what I

rolled or pulled or made with a tower of cubes. For example: I

would draw 4 red fish and 5 blue fish in the open area on the page.

Write the equation on the lines at the bottom.

Do You Wish

to be a Fish?

Yes

No

Analyzing Our Graph

___________kids wish to be a fish

___________kids do not wish to be a fish

More kids (wish/do not wish) to be a fish.

More (girls/boys) than (girls/boys) wish

to be a fish.

How many more? ___________

Fish Eyes

A Class Book You Can Count On

By the Little Fishies in Room ______

_______________ _________________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________

Egg Carton Math Write the numbers 1-12 on the bottom of the sections of an egg

carton or on the bottom of the sections of a plastic ice tray.

Students can read the number and place the corresponding

number of goldfish crackers in the section.

You can repeat this activity using numbers 11-20, multiples of 2 or 5,

or all even or odd numbers.

For Addition Practice Have students use a two-colored mat to create addition problems.

To create mats, tape 2 different colored 9 X 6 pieces of

construction paper together and laminate. Students can use

number cards and (+) and (=) cards to write out the equations.

Act it Out Have the children wear fish headbands and pretend to be the fish in the

story. Have them use their bodies to act out the addition problems.

To create the fish headbands- print on cardstock, watercolor, cut and

laminate the fish cutouts on the following pages. Staple them to

sentence strip headbands.

Fishy Snack Materials needed: one graham cracker per child, blue frosting (mix blue

food coloring into white icing), wooden popsicle sticks (for spreading the

icing), Swedish fish, gummi fish or goldfish grahams, brown sugar (optional)

Students can focus on a certain number and every child can put the

same amount of fish on their cracker of they can create an addition

equation by using two different colors of gummi fish and adding them

together or they can add the fish on one side of their cracker to the

fish on the other side and tell a partner their equation.

Have students use popsicle sticks to spread the blue frosting on

their graham cracker for water.

Add fish and small amounts of brown sugar (sand)

Fun Fish Counters and Resources I have a set of these great fish counters and the kids love them! We use

them for sorting, patterning, counting, adding, subtracting, one to one,

etc. I got mine from Lakeshore years ago, but could not find them on

the site now. Learning Resources was the cheapest site I found with

them, They sell them 60 for $21.99.

A few fun fish items from oriental trading…

Colorful Fish – 144 for 8.00

sea life creatures – 90 for 13.50

Fish Beads- 100 for 6.00

Fantastic Fish – 400 for 14.00

Design your own giant paper fish 12 for 10.00

(good for acting out story problems)

1 2

3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10

0 11 122

9 10

0 11 122

13 14

0 15 162

17 18

0 19 2022