Spawn 'til You Die

Alaskan nature artist Ray Troll believes that the whole, complicated life cycle of a Salmon can be simplified down to this one powerful motto: "Spawn 'Till you Die." Check out the "fin art" of Ray Troll.

Through this assignment, you will learn about the life cycle of salmon and show what you've learned by creating your own "fin art" and salmon life cycle motto.

Part 1. Salmon Life Cycle:

Watch the I Will Survive music video.

While you are watching, please take notes in your journal on the basic stages of the salmon life cycle (example: egg, alevin, fry, etc.)

Optional: Watch the movie Life Cycle of Salmon from the Discovery Channel. This is what local salmon spawning looks like: Pink Salmon - Dungeness River, 2019. Check out the "fin art" of Ray Troll and the art of Mr. Shields. Then watch the Salmon Life Cycle Pancake Art movie featuring local talent (our former student Zander's voice is on the video).

Part 2: Fin Art Poster Contest:

Look at Past Student Samples for inspiration.

Create a poster that diagrams the salmon life cycle. Your poster should include

• The six stages of the salmon life cycle (egg, alevin, fry, smolt, adult, spawning adult)

• The locations for each life cycle stage (river, estuary, ocean)

• Threats to salmon

• A motto for your poster that captures the salmon life cycle

• Your name

Part 3: Only the Strong (or Lucky) Survive:

Very, very few salmon actually spawn before they die. The overall salmon population has been in serious decline for many years.

What has caused this decline?

Many people say that salmon are dying a death of a thousand cuts.

Here are some of the thousand factors that have caused salmon populations to decline. How exactly has each of these factors caused salmon populations to decline?

• • Fishing

  • Diseases

  • Pollution

  • Dams

  • Climate change

  • Habitat loss

  • Urbanization

  • Hatcheries

Choose one factor that has led to salmon decline and incorporate the following information about this factor onto the fin art poster from part 2 of this lesson.

1. How does your issue impact salmon?

2. What is the cause or origin of your issue? (For example, the cause of clear-cut logging is the demand for wood-based products)

3. How does your issue benefit humans?

4. What is one possible solution for addressing how your issue impacts salmon?

Period 6: Each table group takes one of the eight items above and creates a poster that addresses the guidelines below:

1. How does your issue impact salmon?

2. What is the cause or origin of your issue? (For example, the cause of clear-cut logging is the demand for wood-based products)

3. How does your issue benefit humans?

4. What is one possible solution for addressing how your issue impacts salmon?