A Salmon's Life Journey

Engagement

30 minutes

Using a KWL chart (KWL explanation), brainstorm with the class to establish what students learned about watersheds in Investigation 2 and how they think salmon might fit into a watershed. Ask “How do you know . . .” to information or claims students make about salmon in a watershed.

Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students. Have students cut out the six stages from the Life Cycle Cards. Using the six life cycle cards and their science notebooks, students investigate the proper order of the salmon life cycle as well as make predictions about where in the watershed each stage takes place.

Students record questions in their science notebook about the salmon life cycle, or journey through the watershed, that arise from the small group discussion. An example might be, “I wonder if salmon ever live in lakes?”

Ask groups/students to share some of the questions from their science notebooks, and update the KWL Chart with students’ questions. Ask students how they might find answers to their questions or show evidence for information they claimed to know.

Save the Life Cycle Cards for later use.

Exploration

3 – 6 class periods

Using a variety of available classroom resources (books, websites, posters, models, etc.) have students work cooperatively to research the salmon’s life journey through a watershed to answer their questions and gather evidence for their claims. Prompt students to look for predators and note them as they surface. Using their science notebooks, ask students to record interesting information and evidence that they discover from their explorations.

Useful Web sites

• The Salmon Story

This site has easy-to-read information and photos about each stage of the salmon life cycle.

• Life Cycle of an Alaska Salmon

Great photos and information about each stage of the life cycle.

• Alaska’s Salmon Habitats

ADFG PowerPoint presentations about salmon habitat needs and salmon habitat in relation to watersheds and salmon life cycles.

• StreamNet

This site has a nice life cycle image, salmonid fact sheets, and salmon life history profiles.

Explanation

30 minutes + time for reading aloud

Allow time and support for students to share their findings within their small group. Small groups should summarize what they learned in their science notebooks.

Collaboratively, students should decide on a way to display their findings in order to explain and share with the whole group. Allow time for each small group to report back to the whole group, updating the KWL chart as they share their information and new questions.

Have a class discussion on predators. Ask students about the predators that they discovered while doing their research. List predators on the board. Some examples are seals, sea lions, terns, northern pike, bears, eagles, and humans.

You may also wish to discuss the variety of obstacles that salmon face at the various stages of their life cycle. Some examples are polluted waters, fish farming, water volume or flow, dams, invasive species, sport fishing, commercial fishing, hatchery fish, and climate change.

Enhance and reinforce student research by reading aloud about salmon, their life cycle, and their habitat from one of the following books:

• Life Cycle of a Salmon by Bobbie Kalman
• Life Cycle of a Salmon by Angela Royston
• Salmon Stream by Carol Reed-Jones
• A Salmon for Simon by Betty Waterton
• Swimmer by Shelly Gill
• Red Tag Comes Back by Fred Phleger

Elaboration

20 minutes

Ask students to apply what they have learned by creating a poster that explains the salmon life cycle stages and where each takes place within the watershed. Students may use their six life cycle stage cards (from Engagement) and a large piece of paper to design/illustrate the watershed. Students may paste the life cycle stage cards in the proper order to begin. They may then decide on the proper illustration, placing the salmon within the correct area of the watershed.

Ask students to share and explain their posters either in their group or to the class. After students have completed their posters, print out the Salmon Life Cycle poster (11″ X 17″) and post it in the classroom. Ask students to self-assess the accuracy of their portrayal of the life cycle and make corrections if necessary.

Choose games and activities to help students enhance and reinforce their learning.
Below are some suggested activities including whole class movement games, small group board games, and individual or partner Internet games.

• Salmon Migration (board game)
• Hooks & Ladders (playground game). See Teacher Tips for making this game more relevant to your Alaskan students.
• Find Your Way (online)
• Lines & Ladders Board game may be printed and laminated for future use.

A salmon storyboard writing activity also may be begun at this time. Such a writing activity may accompany culminating activity for Investigation 5. See Curricular Connections for additional information.

You may choose to invite a fish biologist or Alaska Department of Fish and Game or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service education specialist to the classroom to speak to the students about salmon the the salmon life cycle. If there are no local agency personnel, local commercial or sport fishermen, as well as elders may be equally qualified to help.

Evaluation

Assess students’ posters and/or oral presentations for understanding of the salmon life cycle and its relationship to a watershed.

The following suggested criteria could be incorporated into a rubric for scoring the presentations. If possible, help students develop the rubric themselves before beginning work on their posters.

• Evidence of the proper life stages
• Life stages take place in the proper order
• Life stages take place in appropriate parts of the watershed
• At least one additional characteristic or trait of each salmon life cycle stage is given
• An explanation of the watershed placement and connection is given
• (For example, “Fry have parr marks (characteristic) and live in the stream (placement). The parr marks help them blend into the rocky stream bottom to avoid predators (connection)”

Ask students to reflect in their science notebooks by summarizing their understandings, drawing the salmon life cycle, or reflecting on what they thought they knew prior to the investigation.

Extension

• Add a chart titled, “How does a fish compare to a human?” Students can complete the chart, showing how fish compare to humans regarding their different systems, i.e., respiratory, digestive, reproductive, nervous, circulatory, etc.
• Find out about obtaining a permit to incubate salmon fry in your school and release them into a nearby stream through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Salmon in the Classroom. Also available through the UAF Cooperative Extension/4H Program: Salmon in the Classroom Program for Rural Alaska.
• Learn both names for the five types of Pacific salmon.
• Dissect a salmon.

Curricular Connections

Writing.

Students may extend their understanding of the investigation through a writing activity (salmon storyboard) that tells the story of a salmon’s life journey from the salmon’s point of view. Evidence of the proper life stages taking place in the proper parts of the watershed should be apparent. The story can be used later to accompany the watershed model activity in Investigation 5.