Ebb Light, Flood Light: Red Light, Green Light for Larval Flatfishes

Abstract

Flatfishes such as flounders belong to order Pleuronectiformes and are an interesting topic for K–12 activities because of their unusual shape, and they can be used to teach students about animal movement patterns as well as ecology. Some flatfishes use the flood and ebb tidal currents to travel into and remain in small estuarine creeks because the larvae cannot swim against currents. In this activity, students play the game Red Light, Green Light to learn about larval flatfishes and their use of position in the water column, as well as tides and currents, for movement within an estuary. Students also put this knowledge to practice by drawing pictures and answering questions about larval flatfishes and their movement. This activity addresses the Next Generation Science Standard of using a model to show the relationship between animals and their habitat. Impact Statement We created an original activity to teach early elementary students about movement patterns of animals. Terms such as tides, estuaries, flounder, larvae, and metamorphosis are defined to prepare students for more complex science. Science is often not a heavy focus in earlier grade levels, but it is possible to use active outdoor games (invoking multisensory learning through seeing and doing) to teach Next Generation Science Standards such as the relationship between animals and their habitat.