Ngongotaha Primary School pupils found it both gross and exciting to see the dissection of a trout.
The school's junior pupils are studying a unit on rivers and had a visit from Fish and Game officer Mark Sherburn, from Ngongotaha Hatchery, who dissected a 2-year-old trout for each class.
Year 2 pupil Racheal Boyd, 6, likes eating fish and was interested to see the trout's insides.
"It was quite gross," she said.
She touched the trout and said it felt slimy.
The Daily Post visited teacher Michaela Muncaster's Year 2 class on Wednesday. All the children were very excited to see the fish, and lined up to stroke it.
"It's exactly what the kids like," Miss Muncaster said.
"They love that kind of touchy feely stuff."
Mr Sherburn first showed the children the fish whole, demonstrating how it swims and how its body works.
He then slit it open and pulled out the guts. The children helped him identify the different organs.
Mr Sherburn said that when people caught a fish they needed to kill it quickly and respectfully.
"We have to remember they're animals and we have to take care of them."
He then explained how important it is to keep the water where fish live clean and free of rubbish.
He showed the children some pictures of fish which had become trapped in pieces of rubbish.
Mr Sherburn said Fish and Game officers often visited schools, but this was the first time he had dissected a trout at a school.
"I think it went pretty well, kids are always interested in things when you can visually show them."
He said it was also an opportunity to teach children about water quality and pollution.
"It's not a problem restricted to adults and politicians and decision makers."
Ngongotaha Primary School junior pupils are going to visit the Ngongotaha Hatchery next week, where they will learn about the lifecycle of the fish and see the fish spawning.
Rotorua Daily Post
