Goldfish Lesson Plan

Activity: Students will use Goldfish crackers to measure the length of cut out paper sea
creatures.
Objectives:
ABCD-

Elementary students grades K-1

Students will be able to use a non-standard reference to measure different shapes.
Students should be able to complete the activity within a sixty minute period.
Acceptable as long as student is actively participating in the activity. Actively using the
goldfish to measure. Recording their results.
Blooms Taxonomy: Analysis- how would you group the different lengths? What is the
relationship between the objects? Evaluation- Estimate the number of goldfish needed for
each object. Record your findings and compare with the findings of other students.
Standards: A. Mathematical Thinking
A.f. Measurement
o A.f.2. Compares continuous quantities using length, weight, and height
A.f.2.a. Child measures or compares the length of one or more objects using a nonstandard reference (e.g., paper clips), with teacher support and multiple experiences
over time.
Physical Development
o D. Fine Motor Development
D.1. Demonstrates increasing control of small motor muscles to perform simple tasks
D.2. Uses eye-hand coordination to perform fine motor tasks

Materials:
Goldfish crackers (20 for each child)
Small paper cups (snack size)
Tape player
Microsoft Excel and projector
Paper cut outs of various sea creatures
Ocean Life From A to Z Book and book on tape by Cynthia Stierle
Activity:
Sea Creatures (Small Group)

1. Give each child a book Ocean Life from A-Z and allow them to follow along with the
book and tape.
2. Discuss the book once the tape is finished and answer any questions.

3. Place the objects (e.g., sea creatures) you have selected on the table in front of the
children. Explain to the children that sea creatures come in many sizes and they will
each have a chance to measure the sea creatures using goldfish crackers.
4. Demonstrate how to properly measure a sea creature with the goldfish. Choose a sea
creature and show the children how to measure it by lining up the goldfish crackers
(e.g., a non-standard unit of measure) side-by-side next to it. After you have measured
the sea creature, count the goldfish and describe how long it is (e.g., The whale is 11
goldfish long.). Record the name of the sea creature you measured, and how many
gold fish long the creature was. This is how the children will record their findings in their
notebooks.
5. Give each child a cup with 20 goldfish crackers.
6. Distribute a mix of various sea creatures to each child. Make sure not to give them a
duplicate.
7. Allow each child to go through their sea creatures and measure them with the goldfish
crackers. After the children have measured their sea creatures ask them to count the
goldfish and describe how long their sea creature is (e.g., My jellyfish is 20 goldfish
long.). Assist the children with measuring, counting the goldfish, and describing the
length of their creatures, as needed.
8. Have the children record their findings on a piece of paper.
9. Allow the children to eat their goldfish crackers.
10. Collect their written down findings, and create a spread sheet recording the differences
in each childs findings, comparing the differences in the measurements in the same
creature. Show them the variations.
Assessment:
As long as the students are actively participating and recording their findings, they will be
considered successful in this activity. They must hand in a paper with their measurements
recorded to be put into the spreadsheet and discussed/compared.