The story of "Fish is Fish" illustrates the idea of constructivism in learning. It describes a little fish and tadpole who are friends until the tadpole grows legs and leaves the pond as a frog. When the frog returns and describes seeing birds with wings and two legs, the fish imagines what a bird looks like based on its own experience - with fins like a fish and feet like a frog. This shows how students construct their own understandings from their existing knowledge, rather than just remembering what they are told.

1. FISH IS FISH

2. FISH IS FISH
New learning is constructed from old The
idea of constructivism is nicely
illustrated by a children’s story called
‘Fish is Fish’ by Leo Leoni. A rough
summary of his story goes something like
this. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I
will begin.

4. FISH IS FISH
There was once a little fish and a tadpole
who shared the same pond. They were great
friends and played together every day. But
one day the tadpole grew legs and his tail
began to disappear. Eventually the tadpole
left the pond as a fully grown frog. The little
fish often wondered where his four-footed
friend had gone.

5. FISH IS FISH

6. FISH IS FISH
But days and weeks went by and the frog did
not return. Then one day the frog splashed
back into the pond saying he had seen
extraordinary things. ‘Like what?’ asked the
fish . ‘Like birds,’ said the frog. The frog went
on to describe birds as having wings and two
legs. What did the fish make of this?

7. FISH IS FISH

8. FISH IS FISH
The fish imagined a bird to look just like a fish,
with two frogs’ feet and fins for wings.
Our students do not simply remember what we
tell them, they construct their own meanings
out of their limited experience, in just the same
way as the fish!