Observation and Sequence of Fish Developmental Stages

Exploration

Objectives

Students will be able to distinguish between developmental stages of zebrafish as well as compare those stages to humans by directly observing zebrafish embryos and completing a graphic organizer.

Lesson Materials

Fixed zebrafish at different developmental stages-see pictures file.
Reading questions
Zebrafish Embryology Data Chart
Zebrafish Embryology Pictures

Procedures

1. The instructor will introduce the zebrafish by discussing the organism's importance as a model for studying human disease and development. 
2. Students could examine zfin.org on the Internet to investigate the vast amount of research currently being done using zebrafish. 
3. Students should then read the article "Small Fish, Big Science" and complete the guiding questions worksheet.
4. Observe zebrafish embryos (live or fixed) at each stage of development and record results on a graphic organizer. 
5. If fish are not available, use the zebrafish embryology pictures and zebrafish embryology data chart.
6. Compare fish embryo stages with the human.
7. Review when major systems within the zebrafish mature and compare this to human systems' form and function.
8. Transition: Show clips of wild type and BOP fish. What system do you think is malfunctioning?

References

Zebrafish book on zfin.org "Small Fish, Big Science" article by Jane Bradbury found at http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020148