Instructional Procedures and Materials:

1. The lesson requires one Macintosh computer per pair of students (i.e., lesson would take place in the ld classroom), a modem, access to Netscape, and at least two fifty minute class periods.

2. Student grouping: Following introductory activity presented by the teacher, students will work in pairs on the computer during the science lesson.

3. Pre-requisite student skills for the computer: ability to type (at least hunt and peck), operate the mouse, access the Internet, background knowledge of the World Wide Web & Netscape, and operate the various function keys identified in the computer program.

4. Pre-requisite student skills of the content area: Background knowledge of fish, bodies of water (fresh water, salt water, etc.), and aquatic environments.

5. Lesson is introduced with fifteen minute introduction of the lesson's objectives and is intended to be presented as part of an on-going unit of study of fish and other marine life.

6. Following introduction, the teacher will pair students and generate a class discussion regarding how fish live and the various types of marine environments.

7. The teacher will then instruct each pair of students to access the World Wide Web system in order to research information related to a species of fish. Research obtained by the pairs will be orally presented to the class. Each pair will receive a student hand out recommendations for information to include in the presentations. The hand-out will also be used for recording answers to research questions.

8. Working together, the students will search and record information related to a species of fish (i.e., marine name, fresh water or salt water, diet, predators) by referencing the following:

FINS: Fish Information Service Index

9. The next day, the teacher will review information regarding activity from the previous day. Following review, the student pairs will orally present their research to the class.

10. As part of culminating unit activity, fish researched by the students may be included in a class project involving the construction of fresh water and salt water classroom aquariums. Activity may also be integrated with language arts lessons by having the students request in writing mail-order catalogs from the URLs researched.

Student Assessment:

Teacher observation of student participation in class discussion, as well as computer activity.