Curriculum Suggestions using HBH Bet= ta kits

&nbs= p; Elementary and Secondary school curriculum varies from state to state so we will addre= ss general topics and allow you, as the teacher, to adapt the material to your curriculum requirements. Like= wise, every grade will require a different level of complexity as students master more difficult concepts. If y= ou can’t find a way to incorporate your Betta kit into your curriculum needs, please feel free to contact our research department as we have an educator available to provide assistance and support.

Physical Attributes of water<= o:p>

Our Betta kits are a great way to teach children about= the properties of water.

= a. = Water is clear, has weight, and varies in temperature.

= b. Water carries invisible minerals and microorganisms that effect animal life.

(Our website can give you = more information on the Nitrogen cycle and how

it works in your Betta bowl. Simply go= to www.hbhnet.com/nitrogencycle.

= c. = The effects of pollution on water. Be careful not to kill your Betta through

experi= mentation. You can hypothesize what would hap= pen if you introduce

certai= n chemicals into your Betta’s environment.<= /p>

The Effects of The Environment on a Living Organism

You can carefully monitor t= he effects of light, sound, and temperature (i.e. weather) on your Betta.

a. What would happen if you pl= ace the Betta bowl in the sun? (Don’t let your

Betta = get too hot. Check the water temperature often. The temper= ature should

be kept between 75 and 85 degrees in order to maintain the Bet= ta’s health.)

You can determine whether = the Betta gets more active or less active at given temperatures within the safe range.

= b. How does your Betta react to light? Place the bowl in a darkened space.=

Allow the Betta to relax a= nd then shine a bright light on it. I= t will likely

respon= d by swimming away from the light.

= c. = Play music or make loud noises near the Betta tank and see if your Betta

respon= ds.

(Please recognize that Bet= tas, like humans, will respond to outward stimuli

in different ways. You may not g= et the desired effects from these experiments but that can also be a useful learni= ng tool. You might ask, “W= hy didn’t noise

bother= our Betta?” or “What could make our Betta not respond to light = or temperature?”

Adaptations by a Living Organ= ism

&= nbsp; There are a multitude of ways you can use your Betta to teach about biological diversity and adaptation.

= a. = What do we have to do to provide our Betta with the right environment within

the classroom so that it maintains optimal health? (Talk about temperature,

feedin= g habits, bowl cleanliness, and safety issues.) What would hap= pen

if those things were changed? Would our Betta have to adapt? Could it adapt? If it died, would it b= e able to pass on the traits necessary for adaptation?

= b. Bettas are native to the hot, temperate, slow moving rivers and ponds of

Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. How is their native environment different

from their bowl environment? How i= s it the same? What would we need = to

do to create an adaptation in our Betta? (breed, make = slow, gradual changes

over successive generations).

= c. = What adaptations have been made by Bettas in their natural environment?

(We suggest you read the s= ection in our HBH website that explains the adaptations of this species of fish.

= d. Bettas are sometimes called “fighting fish̶= 1; because they are used in Southeast

Asia in gambling and = betting. People have bred Bettas to become = better fighters. Larger and more rob= ust males with larger heads and jaws have created strong fighting varieties. When the Betta became interesting = to hobbyists, color and finnage became more import= ant and there have been many new varieties bred to appeal to aquarium owners. Talk about how both of these breed= ing programs might work. Take cer= tain features a person would want and place them in a Punnet Square. For example: What kind of off-spring would you = get if you mated a pure blooded steel blue female with a pure blooded green male?<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> If you want to get more technical = you can talk about genotypes, phenotypes, heterozygotes, etc. You will have to probabl= y do some additional research if you get into the more technical aspects of genetics, but the possibilities are endless in talking about color, size, a= nd genetic variations.

= e. = What adaptations can take place within the lifetime of a single organism as

compar= ed to the changes that take place over a longer period of time and successive generations of a species?

Diversity within and without a Species

You will probably only have= one Betta in your classroom but there are library resources that can help you s= how diversity within the Betta species and across the broader classifications of fish, mammals, reptiles, etc.

= a. = How does your Betta differ from other Bettas?&= nbsp; How is it the same? Wh= y do

you think it is different? (For younger grades it might be fun to create new

colors= of Bettas as an art project.)

= b. How does your Betta differ from other fish?&nb= sp; How is it the same? Wh= y do you

think<= /span> it is different? (It might be a = fun art project for students to create a new fish species.) A wonderful video that shows the tremendous diversity of marine life is entitled, “The Blue Planet.” You might want= to use this to explore the dimensions of biological diversity.

= c. = How does your Betta differ from a mammal, a reptile, a bird, etc.? How is it the same? Why do you think it is different?<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

= d. How does the environment effect diversity? What would it take to create a new species of Betta? Bettas are = not indigenous to any state. Why not? Could they become acclim= ated to any stream, pond, or lake in the United States? Why or why not? With what species would they have = to compete? Would native species= have an advantage or disadvantage over Bettas. Why?

The= Physiology and Anatomy of a Betta

&nbs= p; Elementary level science classes don’t generally deal with in-depth studies of anatomy and physiology but your Betta can provide you with an opportunity to explore the characteristics of a living organism.

= a. = How does our Betta get air (respirate)?

= b. How does our Betta move?

= c. = How does our Betta digest food?

= d. How does our Betta reproduce? (A fun class project would be to build a bubble nest using small white balloons. You could then have= each student make a small Betta (fry) and talk about the reproductive cycle. An interesting characteristic of t= he Betta species is that the males are the nest tenders. Females have to be removed from th= e tank right after spawning. The mal= e will collect the eggs at the bottom of the tank and painstakingly blow them up to the bubble nest. Should any e= ggs fall during incubation, the male will return the= m to the nest. While the reproduct= ive process is very interesting, we don’t encourage you to try breeding Bettas in your classroom as they are very temperamental and sensitive. In some cases, males and females a= ttack each other. One of the reason= s they are called “fighting fish” is because of the aggressive nature = of the males. If another teacher= in your school has a male Betta, you can often get them to display their fight= ing techniques by placing the tanks close together. Another option is to put a mirror = in front of your tank. This will sometimes bring about an attack response by the Betta. However, this isn’t always t= he case so don’t be disappointed if your Betta doesn’t show aggression. It is impor= tant, if you have more than one Betta, to keep them separated from one another. They can cause themselves physical damage and eventual death by their aggressive behavior.

Other Cross-curriculum Enrichment Activities

&= nbsp; There are a number of other fun and educational activities that can be inspired by your Betta kit.

= a. = Where do Bettas come from? Explore = the land of Southeast Asia as a map and/or cul= tural study.

= b. Language skill development. Have stude= nts write a description of their Betta. Have a contest to name your Betta and let them write why they think their name is best. Have the students make up stories about their Betta. Have them learn the difference bet= ween fiction and non-fiction by creating fictional stories about Bettas and then writing about observable facts relating to your Betta.

= c. = We’ve already mentioned some art projects that can be done relating to your Betta= but you could also discuss variations of color as seen in your Betta. You can get as simple or as techni= cal as you want on this subject. The colors in your Betta are created by chemicals and its iridescent quality is= the result of light hitting crystalline particles (part of their waste products) embedded in the skin of the Betta. These observations could stimulate the study of light, refraction, color, etc.

= d. Dance and movement activities could include the movements made by your Betta. Your students could even create a “Betta dance.”

= e. = The slow languid movements of your Betta are very different from the quick, sporadic movements of other fish. Show these differences through music. The short goldfish scene in the fi= lm, “Fantasia” visually and musically depicts just such movement.

= f. = There are a number of math exercises you could do w= ith your Betta. Determine the vol= ume of water in your Betta bowl. Keep track and graph the temperature variations of the water. Before placing your Betta in the b= owl, you could talk about volume, how much does water weigh<= /span>, displacement of water by the stones, plant, etc. You could also use the Betta to te= ach basic math skills. “We = have one Betta. If Mary brought in another Betta, how many Bettas would there be? Or “Our Betta had forty babies but ten got sick, three got eaten, two died of natural causes, and o= ne accidently jumped out of the bowl. How many would be left?”

= g. = Teach basic principles of responsibility and group cooperation by dividing up

the tasks necessary for maintaining the health of your Betta such as feeding and clea= ning the tank.

= h. = Perhaps it might seem like a far stretch, but you could even use your Betta to

teach appropriate behavior skills. Bettas are “fighting fish= 221; so you could use

your Betta to talk about aggression and anger.

= i. = Computer classes could lead students to websites th= at teach about Bettas. The

HBH website has games, an = art project, photographs, and research information that could supplement any curriculum need.

There are endless options and ideas for using yo= ur Betta within the classroom. G= et creative. It’s been sho= wn that students learn best when lessons are pertin= ent and applicable to their environment. Making your Betta a very real part of your classroom and curriculum, will inspire and engage your students in t= he fun and pleasure of learning.

Good Luck and as always, use the HBH website for= any information and support.