Skip to Main Content
Learning



Junior STEM: Design A Fish Farm

Banner

undefined

CHALLENGE

In Australia, there are commercial fishers who supply wild-caught fish for domestic consumption and export, and recreational fishers who catch fish for personal eating and recreation. 

There are also many aquaculture and fish farmers who farm fish for our consumption. There are a range of aquaculture production systems where some kinds of shellfish and fish are farmed in ponds, pens, tanks, cages, baskets and racks.

Your challenge is to research what fish farms look like and the technologies they use to raise, feed and grow shellfish or fish like salmon, trout and tuna.

Then design a floating fish farm and make a model with pipe cleaners, plastic mesh, hessian, balloons, polystyrene, weights, bubble wrap, paper straws, sticky tape, textas, glue and thick card. 

RESEARCH & IMAGINE

Decide which criteria will be used in your fish farm. Will your fish farm:

  • Make it easy to catch the fish?
  • Be seal proof?
  • Have plenty of water circulation?
  • Prevent fish waste entering the sea? and
  • Be able to cope with big waves and storms? 

PLAN, CREATE, TEST & EVALUATE

Design, make and share your design as part of National Science Week.

* * * * * * * *

Share photos and students’ work samples via National Science Week’s online community. The Australian Science Teachers Association loves to see pictures of children in the classroom learning, and to share photos via email at nscwk@asta.edu.au or share what has been created via FacebookInstagram or Twitter with #scienceweek! Please ensure that you have parental permission prior to posting any images of students.

RESOURCES: websites

undefined

Case Study: The Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre located in Launceston aims to design and develop offshore aquaculture systems for a range of fish and other seafood species. Learn more about what it aims to do here. Listen to an ABC Future Tense podcast about offshore architecture and a range of perspectives about a blue economy here.

 

RESOURCES: videos

5:04min This resource material aims to help teachers and students in junior secondary schools investigate new and existing production practices used to produce food. Students are given an insight into ways primary producers in the fisheries, meat and livestock sectors produce; process and bring their products to consumer