School of Fish Notebooking Pages

These School of Fish notebooking pages and suggested resources are just what your elementary & middle school kids need to record what they have learned about the behaviors of certain species of schooling fish as well as the difference between school and a shoal of fish.

Let your students use these School of Fish Notebooking Pages that come in three differentiated levels as a part of their biology study while they write, draw, and color what they’ve learned about the different species of fish that school.

With these School of Fish notebooking pages, your kids can write about the differences between schooling and shoaling.

Or they can find out what a “baitball” is; or which species of fishes swim in schools, like the sardine, herring, tuna, and even clownfish.

It could also be very interesting to look at how many other animals gather to feed when a baitball forms.

These notebooking printables would even work for copying poems about Schools of Fish for handwriting practice.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on them, I may make a tiny commission, at no extra cost to you. For more info, check our privacy policy.

Recommended Resources for Your Study of the Schooling Fish

Books List

For your younger kids, the classic story Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Clownfish (Ocean Life Up Close) by Kari Schuetz (Clownfish are a species that school)

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean by Katherine Hughes

Fish for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Diverse Habitats, Colorful Species, and Life Underwater by Kevin Kurtz

Fish: Discover the Amazing World of Fish by Steve Parker DK Book

Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Saltwater Fish

Videos

Why Do Fish Swim in Schools? with World by Charlie: I Wonder Why series

This “Amazing Fish Form Giant Ball to Scare Predators” video from BBC Earth really shows just how incredibly fast the fish in the school are swimming. At the very end, there’s a fish that’s separated from the rest that is quickly snatched by the yellowfin tuna–just an FYI in case you have kids sensitive to that.

A “tornado” of schooling fish with Animal Wire

Why Do Fish School? from the Haiki Institute

Lens of Time: Secrets of Schooling at Biographic Magazine This video explains some of the ways researchers are trying to learn more about collective behaviors in wild animals. (probably middle school level if they are interested in animal observations)

How do schools of fish swim in harmony? by Nathan S. Jacobs at Ted-ED (middle/high school level)

Shoaling and Baitballs

A migration shoal of sardines on the coast of South Africa explained by Andy Coetzee The dolphins, gannets (sea birds), sharks, and humpback whales all gather to create bait balls and feed in a Watch this one before watching the next one from Behind the Mask.

This video from Behind the Mask doesn’t contain a lot of “information” but I found it absolutely fascinating to watch this symphony of nature. This project team included the 2016 Nat Geo Photographer of the Year, Greg Lecoeur, and used drones, airplanes, boats, and scuba divers. It might even make your kids want to become marine photographers 🎥

Now, the lyrics at time stamp 4:30 to 4:45 might raise a parental eyebrow, so you can either mute the sound for those 15 seconds or watch this similar–but not nearly as amazing– video of the sardine run off the coast of South Africa with Nick Bernhard

Online Resources

In order of difficulty, from easy to read to middle/high school:

DK Findout: Schooling Fish

Animals A to Z has Sardine Facts (scroll WAY down for them)

Tuna Fish Facts from Kiddle

KIds Herring Fish Facts at KidADL

Information about Schooling Fish from Aqueon

Fun Extras!

Tropical Fish World – Assorted Miniature Sea Animals

Ocean Miniature Animal Figurines with a Tunafin fish

Clownfish Construction Building Stem Toy

Schooling Fishes Notebooking & Journal Printables

These School of Fish notebooking pages come in 3 different levels to fit all of your students’ needs. There’s a large elementary lined one, a smaller elementary lined one, and a regular lined one.

Each level of notebooking page also comes in a color graphic, with a photo, and in black/white in case you are trying to save on printer ink costs. There are 12 pages total.

More Resources for Your Study of Ocean Life and Fish

Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it again later.

And be sure to follow Homeschool Helper Online on Pinterest for more affordable homeschooling resources!