Sticklebacks in Tanks
Learning with Sticklebacks
STICKLEBACKS IN TANKS
Debbie Whittaker1, Jerome Masters2, Iain Barber3 and Aimee Clorley2
1: Gledhow Primary School, Lidgett Lane, Leeds, LS8 1PL
2: Environment Agency, Phoenix House, Global Avenue, Leeds, LS11 8PG
3: University of Leicester, Department of Biology, Leicester, LE1 7RH
This project pack is copyright of the Environment Agency and the University of Leicester.
Other organisations have allowed us to reproduce some of their material and have been duly
credited within.
Copying of parts of the project pack is authorised for use in classrooms during Sticklebacks in
Tanks projects. Other than for this use, the pack may not be reproduced, in whole or in part,
without the written consent of the Environment Agency and the University of Leicester.
We are grateful to the Environment Agency, The Institute of Fisheries Management and
Hydrosphere UK Ltd for funding the development of this pack.
Any field visits must be carried out in accordance with LEA / school guidelines
1.0 Sticklebacks in Schools
Sticklebacks are well suited to engage children’s interest, due to their
colourful appearance and distinctive behaviours. They are also relatively easy
to catch and care for.
This pack provides some background information about sticklebacks, and
ideas and templates for games and activities. Information on capture and care
of sticklebacks in provided in a separate pack.
We have found that children are very enthusiastic about having fish in their
classroom, and this can help when teaching the National Curriculum, and
when developing cross-curricular activities.
For example, relevant topics in Key Stage One include:
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Science
o How to treat animals with care and sensitivity.
o That humans and other animals can produce offspring and that
these offspring grow into adults.
o Finding out about the different kinds of plants and animals in the
local environment.
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Geography
o Expressing their own views about environments.
o Recognising how the environment may be improved and
sustained.
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Citizenship
o Realising that other living things have needs and that they have
responsibilities to meet them.
o Discussing what improves and harms their local, natural and
built environments.
Sticklebacks have also prompted discussion across generations, with parents
and grandparents taking an interest and describing their own childhood
adventures fishing for ‘tiddlers’.
2.0 Stickleback Biology
There are three species of stickleback living in the UK. The ‘Sticklebacks in
Tanks’ project is designed to be run with three-spined sticklebacks.
2.1
Three-spined sticklebacks
Female (left) and male (right) (from www.arkive.org)
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Small fish (up to 8cm long) commonly found in ditches, streams, rivers,
ponds and lakes. Some also live in shallow bays and estuaries.
Scientific name is Gasterosteus aculeatus
Named after the three spines on the back (the first two are longest and
most easily seen). The pelvic fins also each have a spine.
The spines can be locked pointing out from the fish. Spines catch in the
throats of predators, making them harder to eat.
Nocturnal predators feeding on worms, insect larvae, small snails,
crustaceans, small fish and fish eggs.
Very tolerant of poor water quality. In polluted waters, sticklebacks are
often the only fish that can be found.
Male three-spined sticklebacks build nests on sand/gravel and then
guard the nests and eggs. Most UK freshwater fish do not guard eggs
in this way. Sticklebacks spend a lot of energy looking after a small
number of large eggs (50 to 300). Other fish, like roach, will put their
energy into laying a large number of eggs (25,000 to 1,000,000) but
then don’t spend any time looking after them.
2.2
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2.3
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Nine-spined sticklebacks
Usually they have nine spines on the middle of the back, although
between seven to twelve have been counted.
Scientific name is Pungitius pungitius.
Usually olive green to black on the back and sides and silvery
underneath. During breeding season they appear brighter in colour with
a blue tint to the pelvic fin area.
Prefers areas of still water where weed growth is dense.
Males build nests in dense weeds, usually inches above the bottom.
Fifteen-spined sticklebacks
A wholly marine species. Smaller fish are often found in rock pools on
the middle to lower shore. Larger fish live in deeper water, returning to
the shore to breed.
Scientific name is Spinachia spinachia.
Generally has between fourteen and sixteen spines along the back.
Elongated body, with a long tubular head.
3.0 Three-spined Stickleback Life Cycle
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The breeding season for sticklebacks is late spring / early summer.
Sticklebacks have a lifespan of about one year.
During the breeding season, the male’s belly and throat turn red and
his eyes turn blue.
The male makes a nest by gluing plant fibres together using a
secretion from the kidneys (called ‘spiggin’). Each nest has a tunnel
large enough for the female to swim through and lay eggs in.
Stickleback nests are built by
the males and vary in shape.
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A female comes to the males nest, her belly swollen with eggs.
The male displays a zig-zag courtship dance
o Swimming in a rapid, jerky fashion, towards the female and then
back to his nest.
o In between ‘zig-zags’ he will fan the nest with his fins, to show
the female what a good parent he will be.
o He may also show the female the entrance hole of his nest by
pointing at it with his snout.
• The female squeezes through the tunnel, lays her eggs (about 100
eggs), leaves the nest and swims away.
• The male swims through the nest and fertilises the eggs with his
sperm.
• The male stickleback looks after the eggs.
• After five days, black eyes and tails are visible in the eggs.
Stickleback eggs (www.arkive.org)
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The young fish (fry) hatch after nine days.
The fry shelter in vegetation. The male still looks after as many young
as he can.
Stickleback fry in vegetation (www.arkive.org)
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After four weeks the male’s bright colours have faded and he leaves
the young fish to look after themselves.
4.0 Pollution
The Environment Agency responds to reports of pollution. If you see
anything that you think is a pollution incident please call our Incident
Hotline 0800 80 70 60 (Freephone, 24 hour service)
4.1
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Urban Rivers
Due to historic levels of pollution, urban rivers in the UK are widely
thought of as ‘lifeless’ and ‘dirty’.
Buildings often face away rivers – the river having historically been
used for the disposal of waste.
Following improvements to water treatment facilities and the regulation
of industry, water quality has improved in many UK rivers.
Environmental facts and figures for England and Wales are available
on the Environment Agency website.
http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?ep=maptopics&lang=_e
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4.2
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As a result of improved water quality and fish restocking programmes
many urban rivers now support thriving fish populations. Fish support
populations of predators such as herons, saw-bill ducks, kingfishers
and otters (even in cities like Sheffield and Leeds).
Urban rivers are increasingly being used for recreational activities,
such as angling, rowing and canoeing.
Fish and Pollution
Different species of fish have different tolerances to pollution.
Environment Agency data from fish surveys in the River Don, South
Yorkshire, show changes in the fish population as the river became
cleaner over time (below).
Sticklebacks are very tolerant and, historically, in very polluted waters
were often the only species of fish found.
As polluted rivers begin to become cleaner, they become suitable for
coarse fish species (minnow, stone loach, gudgeon, roach, dace,
perch).
As waters become even cleaner, trout started to occur. This species
needs cleaner water and higher dissolved oxygen levels than coarse
fish.
When the river became really clean, bullhead started to be found. This
small fish species is very intolerant of pollution.
Species
1981
3-spined
stickleback
100-999
minnow
stone loach
gudgeon
roach
dace
perch
brown trout
bullhead
1987
1-9
1-9
1990
1993
1997
2005
1-9
1-9
10,000+
100-999
1
100-999
10-99
4
1
1,000-9,999
1-9
19
6
4
1
70
89
2
23
2
1-9
26
16
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Fish survey data 1 from the River Don, near Oughtibridge (SK 319 920)
Two species of coarse fish, roach (left) and dace (right)
Brown trout (left) and bullhead (right)
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When large numbers of small fish (three-spined stickleback, minnows, stone loach)
were caught an ‘abundance estimate’ was used (100 - 999, 1,000 - 9,999, 10,000 +), to
allow the fish to be returned to the river more quickly than would have been the case had
they been counted exactly.
ACTIVITIES
This section includes a few ideas for activities centred around
sticklebacks, and a few templates to help get you started.
Question and Answer Fishing Game.
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Write questions on cut-out fish and place in a box (or fish tank).
Write answers on similar cut-out fish and place in another box (or tank).
Attach magnets to the fish, use bamboo canes and magnets to make
fishing rods.
One child ‘catches’ a question fish and reads the question to the class.
The class then answer the question and another child ‘catches’ the
appropriate answer fish to see if they are right.
Using coloured fish makes the game easier - corresponding question
and answer fish being the same colour.
This works well as a plenary activity.
Pond Diorama
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You will need: Shoe box, paper, card, crayons, tape, thread, scissors
Use the shoe box as the stage for a pond scene
Place the box on its side
Decorate the inside of the box to look like it is underwater.
Draw the animals and plants you want to be in the scene on card (you
can use the templates in this pack)
Cut them out and hang them in the box.
Pond Game
An active game that looks at how different pond animals move.
Equipment: Safe open space
Safety rules: No pushing, No Skidding
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Children are given four animals to mimic.
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Water Boatman – Rowing action
Whirligig beetle – spinning around
Frog – Jump from a crouch
Fish – Hand on top of the head (fin) and fish mouth movements
Point out North, East, South and West
Shout an animal and a direction. They should then go where you have
said whilst doing the correct animal action
Anyone doing the wrong action and/or the last to arrive are “out”.
Guess Who?
Pictures included in this guide can be used to create the cards for this game.
This is a two-player game based on Guess Who and involves a card being
selected at random by each player from a separate pile of cards (containing
the same number of images).
The object of the game is to be the first to determine which card one's
opponent has selected. This is done by asking various yes or no questions to
eliminate candidates, such as "Does it have legs?"
This game can be used to introduce the concept of keys (for example. before
a pond dipping session).
Plenary Activity - Where do fish live?
Understanding of how rivers change can be checked by giving children
information about a fish species, and then asking them to place it in the
correct habitat.
Rivers change as they flow from upstream to downstream areas and different
fish are adapted to live in the different habitats created. Four species of fish
(roach, brown trout, grayling, common bream) illustrate the different habitats
really well.
Near the source, rivers are fast flowing and shallow, with a stony river bed
and lots of oxygen dissolved in the water. There are few nutrients, so there is
less food available than further downstream. In lowland rivers, the flow is
slower, the channel deeper and the river bed is more silty. There are more
nutrients than upstream, but lower dissolved oxygen levels.
Upstream
Downstream
Oxygen
Lots
Not so much
Flow
Fast
slow
River Bed
Stony
Muddy
Food
Not much
Lots
Q) Roach live in slow-flowing or still muddy water. They feed on small animals
and plants. They lay eggs on plants and tree roots. Where would you find
roach?
A) Downstream
Q) Brown trout live in clean, fast-flowing water. They feed on small animals
and other fish. They make nests in gravel. Where would you find trout?
A) Upstream
Q) Grayling feed on small animals. They bury their eggs in gravel. They need
high oxygen levels to survive and die in polluted water. Where would you find
grayling?
A) Upstream
Q) Bream live in still and slow-flowing water. They feed on small animals.
They lay their eggs on plants or stones. Where would you find bream?
A) Downstream
Pond dipping
Ponds are fascinating habitats and contain a large number of different plants
and animals. Pond dipping is a highly enjoyable and practical way of
introducing children to the wide variety of life through hands on scientific
enquiry.
Health and Safety
ALL OFF-SITE VISITS MUST BE CARRIED OUT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH LEA / SCHOOL GUIDELINES.
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A detailed risk assessment will be necessary
o A ratio of 1 adult to every 4 children is a general guide
o Careful preparation will ensure a safe and enjoyable activity
Remember that, when working outside conditions can change. A site
assessed as low risk one day might be high risk at another time (for
example, a stream before and after heavy rainfall). The Rivercall
service (0906 619 7711) can provide information on river levels
Ensure that the pond/stream is not too deep and that the rims are solid
and will support the children without any risk of giving way
o The two metre rule is a good guide: keep two metres away from
the edge unless sampling
Make sure the children are fully aware of the fact that there are risks
and to be extra careful and sensible
It is a good time to reiterate and reinforce a code of behaviour
appropriate for field visits i.e. to be quiet and calm and move slowly so
as not to disturb anything else in the environment
Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease) is caught through contact with urine
from infected animals (mainly rodents, cattle and pigs) in water or soil.
The bacteria enter the body through abrasions or cuts in the skin and
through the lining of the nose, mouth and eyes. Early symptoms
include flu-like symptoms, vomiting, high temperature, headache
and muscle pains. The treatment is antibiotics.
Protect yourself:
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Cover all cuts and abrasions with a waterproof dressing.
Avoid rubbing your eyes, nose or mouth during work.
Wash hands thoroughly before eating or drinking.
Avoid immersion in potentially infected water.
Equipment
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Long handled net
Short handled net
White containers/trays (these make it easy to identify the catch) and
with secure lids if the catch is to be taken back into the classroom.
White plastic spoons
Specimen jars
Magnifiers
Identification guides
Plastic sheets to kneel on
Pencils and notebooks
Old clothes and Wellington boots!
How to pond dip
1. Spread out the plastic sheet on the edge of the pond
2. Have the containers ready with some clear pond water already in
3. Swish your net slowly through the weeds or along the bottom of the
pond (try not to pick up too much mud or damage any plants.)
4. Take the net out and turn it inside out into the tub
• Don’t try to pick anything out, you may squash them
5. Let the water settle and look at what you have caught
6. Use a spoon to gently remove anything you want to observe more
closely or transfer to another container
Identification
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The enclosed Identification sheet will help the children to identify the
creatures.
Keys will be a useful resource for these identification activities and can
easily be found on the internet (see the resources page)
If you have access to microscopes, these can be both exciting and very
useful to look at the pond water to see what else may be in it
After pond dipping
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Small pond creatures easily become stressed, make sure they have
pondweed to hide amongst or cling to
Don’t leave the containers in full sun; water heats up quickly and this can
kill the organisms
Return the catch to the exact same spot from where it came so the
ecology of the habitat is not disturbed. Don’t keep them too long - return
them as soon as you can
Put them back carefully, pouring as close to the surface as possible.
Wash all equipment thoroughly
Wash your hands
Pond Life
Name: _____________________________
Name:
What did you see?
Date:_________
Where they live.
Pond Skater
Surface
Water
Boatman
Water
Water Beetle
Water
Water Flea
Water
Water & Plants & Mud
Frogs &
Tadpoles
Pond Snail
Plants
Freshwater
shrimp
Plants & Mud
Water Louse
Mud
Bloodworm
Mud
Worksheet courtesy of Meanwood Valley Urban Farm (www.mvuf.org.uk)
Animal ID Sheet
OSTRACOD
DAPHNIA /
WATER FLES
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WORM
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FLATWORM
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POND SKATER
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RAT TAILED
MAGGOT
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LEECH
WATER MITE
WATER BEETLE
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PHANTOM MIDGE
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WATER
LOUSE
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BEETLE LARVA
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INSECT LARVA
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WATER STICK
INSECT
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BLOODWORM
(FLY LARVA)
FRESHWATER
SHRIMP
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WATER BOATMAN
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LESSER WATER
BOATMAN
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WATER
SCORPION
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DRAGONFLY
LARVA
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RAMS HORN
SNAIL
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DAMSELFLY
LARVA
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POND SNAIL
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MAYFLY
LARVA
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PEA-SHELL
COCKLE
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STONEFLY
LARVA
CADDIS FLY
LARVA
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SWAN MUSSEL
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FROGS &
TADPOLES
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* Picture courtesy of Canterbury Environmental Education Centre (www.naturegrid.org.uk)
# Picture courtesy of Meanwood Valley Urban Farm (www.mvuf.org.uk)
STICKLEBACK
Three-spined stickleback templates: Useful for artwork and decoration
around aquariums.
Nine-spined stickleback templates: Useful for artwork and decoration
around aquariums.
Sticklebacks – The Board Game
Summary
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A game for up to six players.
Each player controls a male stickleback.
Male fish move around the board, landing on ‘event’ squares to find
food and a mate whilst trying not to get eaten.
The game can be adapted for different ability levels, with lower and higher
ability versions of the rules and ‘event cards’.
You will need:
• Game board
• A counter for each player
• Reedbed event cards
• Open water event cards
• Dice
• Rough paper
• Pen/pencil
How to play
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Each player places their counter on a ‘nest’ square.
Each player then rolls a die and the player with the highest score
moves first.
Players take it in turns to roll a die and move the corresponding
number of spaces around the board.
The outer circle of the board represents the reedbed around the edge
of a pond, the inner spaces represent the middle of a pond (open
water).
The aim of the game is for a player’s male to move around the pond
collecting enough ‘energy points’ to find and keep a mate and breed
successfully whilst avoiding being eaten by predators.
Each player’s male stickleback begins the game with 3 energy points.
Players will gain and lose energy points throughout the game and so will need
to keep track of their current score on a piece of paper. If a male drops to 0
energy points, the fish has died and is out of the game. The maximum
number of energy points you can have is 12.
If you want to keep players involved in the game, they can start again if their
male dies. It might be a good idea to say that any player that starts again can’t
win, to avoid arguments later!
Event cards
There are a number of ‘event’ squares across the board. When a player lands
on one of these, they must take an event card. The event cards for the
reedbed are different to those for the open water. The event card will either
be:
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A food item (the male will gain energy points, up to a maximum of 12)
A female stickleback (the player may be able to keep her as a mate)
A predator (the male might lose energy points, or even die)
A threat (the male will hide and miss a turn)
If a player has 12 energy points, but draws a food item event card, their total
energy points stays at 12.
Event cards are returned to the bottom of the pile (except for female
sticklebacks kept as mates).
Female sticklebacks
A male can keep a female if he has 9 or more energy points when he
picks up the ‘female stickleback’ event card.
If a player picks a ‘female stickleback’ event card, but their male has fewer
than 9 energy points, the card must be returned to the pile.
If a player has a ‘female stickleback’ card, but their males’ energy points level
drops below 9, they must return their ‘female stickleback’ card to the bottom of
the pile of event cards.
It is not possible for one player to have more than one ‘female stickleback’
card at any one time. If they already have a female, but pick another ‘female
stickleback’ event card, they must return this card to the bottom of the pile.
Breeding successfully
A player must have a ‘female stickleback’ card, and their male must
have 12 energy points or more in order to breed successfully. The male
must also make their way back to their own nest.
When a player returns to their nest with a female, they do not have to roll an
exact number to enter the nest and finish the game (e.g. a player who’s male
is two spaces away from their nest rolls a 5, this allows his male to get “home”
that turn and win the game).
Escaping from predators (can be omitted for simpler game)
Some ‘event’ cards will describe an encounter with a predator. The card might
say ‘You will be eaten unless you escape’.
To try to escape, the player rolls two dice (or one die twice, adding the
numbers together). If the sum of the two die rolls is less than their current
number of energy points, then they have successfully escaped (note: a male
with 12 energy points can still fail to escape, as rolling two sixes will be equal
to his energy points value, not less than it).
Even if they escape, the male stickleback will not be unharmed. The player
must subtract the sum of their two die rolls from their current number of
energy points. This represents energy spent during the struggle to escape
and, possibly, wounds inflicted by the predator.
If a player has a ‘female stickleback’ card, but their male drops to below 9
points after escaping from a predator, then the player must return the female
card to bottom of the pile of event cards.
Stealing a mate (can be omitted for simpler game)
If one player has a ‘female stickleback’ card and finishes a turn in the same
square as another player’s male, then they might get their female stolen from
them. The player with the female will have to give their card to the other
player if their opponent’s male has more energy points.
If both males have the same number of energy points, then each player rolls a
die. The player with the highest roll gets the female. Roll again in the event of
a tie. It is not possible for one player to have more than one ‘female
stickleback’ card at any one time.
Winning the game
The first player to find and keep a female, gain 12 energy points and
return to their nest wins the game.
This might not always happen in every game, if time is limited, in which case
the winner is the player who has a ‘female stickleback’ card. If more than one
player has a ‘female stickleback’ card at the end of the game, the winner is
the player with a female and more energy points than the other players with
females.
If no players have a ‘female stickleback’ card, the winner is the player with the
most energy points. Note that if one player has, say, 15 energy points but no
female, whilst another has, say, 10 points and a female stickleback card, the
winner is the player with the female, even though they have fewer energy
points.
Learning points
This game illustrates, in a simple way, some aspects of stickleback behaviour
and ecology.
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Males need enough energy (through food) to be able to attract a mate,
then rear their young.
Meeting a predator doesn’t always mean you’ll get eaten, but it is costly
to have to escape and injury is a possibility.
The ‘fitter’ you are – illustrated in this game by energy points, the more
chance you have of escaping from predators. Predators tend to target
weaker individuals.
Females choose their mates, they don’t just pair at random. This is
illustrated in the game by males being able to ‘steal’ another player’s
female.
Different habitats have different risks and rewards, also, not all food
has the same value. All of the food items in the open water part of the
pond are worth more than those in the reedbed. But, there is more
chance of meeting a dangerous predator in the open water.
Resources
Many resources are available. This is just a selection.
The omission of any company or product from this list does not mean
that it is not satisfactory.
Books
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Cleave. A. (1992). Projects with Freshwater Life. The Crowood Press
Ltd. Wiltshire.
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Parker. P. (1988). The Life Cycle of a Stickleback. Wayland
(Publishers) Ltd. England.
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Watts. B. (1988). Sticklebacks. A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd. London.
Websites
There are some excellent websites that have all manner of detailed activities,
games and downloadable worksheets.
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www.environment-agency.gov.uk Information on the Environment
Agency and local environmental information.
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www.arkive.org Copyright-free videos, images and fact-files illustrating
the world's species
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www.wwt.org.uk This has an excellent ‘bugdial’ that the children can
use to identify their catch and some excellent games for the children to
play based on the themes of adaptation, food chains and webs and life
cycles.
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www.naturegrid.org.uk This features a brilliant virtual pond dip as well
as detailed identification keys. There is a downloadable pond dipping
passport.
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http://www.tgfl.org.uk/tgfl/custom/resources_ftp/netmedia_ll/ks1/scienc
e/hamshall/nindex.htm Excellent virtual pond, food webs and chains
for Key Stage One.
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http://www.tgfl.org.uk/tgfl/custom/resources_ftp/netmedia_ll/ks3/scienc
e/hamshall/index.htm Excellent virtual pond, food webs and chains for
Key Stage Three.
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www.microscopy-uk.org.uk This is also packed full of great activities.