Something Fishy
How we increase children's awareness of rivers and lakes, and the animals and plants which live there, through this educational resource.
Something Fishy programme
This is an interactive educational resource that we promote in conjunction with Blackrock Education Centre. It has been available for over 30 years and continues to grow each year.
The programme is aimed at fifth and sixth form classes in primary schools. It explores different aspects of fish, their life, their life cycle, the water they inhabit, fish stocks, angling, fish as part of the river food chain, conservation of our lakes and rivers, invasive species (biosecurity) and the fish's ecosystem as a whole.
How it works
The Something Fishy programme feeds into the Something Fishy website which is an online education platform that makes numerous resources available to schools.
The Something Fishy process starts off with the teachers, who carry out lessons from the website. The programme is divided into three separate parts which include a field trip, fishery officers visting the school and an introductory session with each school.
“Learn, play and discover about water, fishing and the life of a salmon fish in Irish Waters.”
We know that education is paramount and plays a major role in children’s development, which is why we are delighted to help.
Something Fishy field trip
The Something Fishy field trip consists mainly of kick sampling, looking at the river invertebrates using bug pots and small microscopes/magnifiers to identify the macroinvertebrates which are used to determine the water quality of the river being sampled.
The next part of the field trip involves electro fishing where fishery officers obtain fish samples from the local river and the children have an opportunity in learning how to identify fish and hold them correctly, so as not to stress them. Both invertebrates and fish are returned without harm to the rivers from which they were taken.
Example of good water quality
Example of poor water quality
Clean River
Fisheries officer examines invertebrates
Students get to hold a fish with wet hands
Suitable for all children
The Something Fishy programme is ideal for schools as it is an interactive and interesting way for the children to learn about the environment around them, at a local scale.
Everyone learns in different ways, but children generally prefer to learn through greater sensory engagement. This includes Visual (pictures, images and spatial understanding), Auditory (sounds and music) and Kinesthetic (words, speech, writing and reading) VAK learning styles.
As such, this programme encompasses all three different learning styles combining technology, flash cards and physically working out in the field with equipment and materials.
Learning to love and protect our natural environment
The idea of the Something Fishy programme teaches young children about life in the river and why it is so important to conserve and protect it.
The programme is designed not only to educate and encourage children about Ireland's waterways, but also to help them understand and appreciate the environment that surrounds them. In this way, it is hoped these children will grow up with a renewed appreciation for rivers and their ecosystems.
Fun in the field
The highlight is always the Something Fishy field trips which seem to go down well with both the pupils and teachers as it gets them out of the classroom and into the field. The teachers can also learn from these visits as well.