Purpose: Students will learn about the different species of Pacific salmon.

Time needed: 20-30 minutes / 2-3 sessions

Materials needed: Salmon ID PowerPoint to create student sheets (print 2 slides per sheet, single-sided. Make 5-6 copies of all pages.)

Instructions: 

ENGAGE: Ask: How are salmon similar to people? What body parts do they have that we also have? Salmon, like people, are vertebrates which means we both have backbones. Use the video at https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/vertebrates/ to learn more about vertebrates.

EXPLORE: Each pair of students will be responsible for researching the color and appearance of their salmon at spawning time and coloring the outlines accurately.  The colored illustration will go on one side of your trading card with no words added.  The other side of the card will include the following written information: Common Name and Scientific Name, and a description of how to identify this salmon at spawning time - be specific so you could tell it apart from other salmon. 

• Distribute student materials - coloring materials (pencils, markers, or paints) and Powerpoint handouts. Each student should get the blank coloring outline and the info box for ONE species of salmon. Alternate the types of salmon you distribute throughout the classroom.

• Instruct students to read their info page and then record the information provided on their trading card (the page with the blank salmon outline). Then, they should color in the outline based on the spawning colors of their salmon species.

• After trading cards are complete, have students cut their pages in half to separate the colored-in images from the photographs. Then have them trade cards with a partner (someone with a different species than them). Have the pairs discuss how their salmon are similar and different.

EXPLAIN: Discuss as a class how all of the salmon look similar and different from each other. Explain that the Chinook (king), Chum (dog), and Coho (silver) are found in the Salmon River watershed in Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve, while the others are not as common in Oregon. Also share with students that salmon look different throughout their life cycle - they’ll learn more about this and see examples in the videos.

ELABORATE: Research together: how is a salmon different from a trout? Some types of trouts, such as steelheads, are often mistaken for salmon but they’re technically a different type of fish that live only in freshwater.

EVALUATE: Can students name the different species of salmon?  Do they know which types are found in Oregon?  Are they able to extend their knowledge to scientific names, too? 

Additional Resources: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Salmon Coloring Book

Purpose: Students learn about the life cycle of a salmon and how they change throughout their lives.

Time needed: 20-30 minutes

Materials needed: 

• Copies of the following worksheet, one per student: https://worksheetplace.com/mf_pdf/Salmon-Life-Cycle-Worksheet.pdf 

• “Life Cycle of a Salmon” book or similar

• Coloring materials

• Optional: life cycle learning posters such as these.

Instructions:

ENGAGE: Ask: What animal life cycles have you learned about before? (frog, butterfly, etc) Many animals change their shape and appearance throughout their lives. Tell them that today we are going to learn about the life cycle of salmon. Teacher begins by reading the Life cycle of a Salmon book to students. 

EXPLORE: 

• Give one worksheet to each student. Instruct students to cut out each stage of the life cycle.

• Ask students to arrange the cut-out pictures in a circle in the correct order from eggs to adult. Once each student has done this correctly, have them glue these pictures into their journal or onto a new sheet of paper.

• Ask students to draw arrows showing which way the life cycle is going.

• Have students label each life stage.

• Finally, allow students to color their salmon pictures.

EXPLAIN: This is just one example of a life cycle. How is this similar and different from other life cycles you’ve learned about, like frogs or butterflies? What about people, dogs, or chickens?

ELABORATE: Life cycle charades! Have students draw a life cycle stage out of a “hat” and act out their life cycle stage. The rest of the class then guesses which stage they’re acting out.

EVALUATE: Can students complete their own drawings of the salmon life cycle with an explanation in their own words? 

(this activity is adapted from Oregon State Marine Board's "Water Wits" curriculum, available at: https://www.oregon.gov/osmb/boater-info/Pages/K-12-Water-Wits-School-Education-Program.aspx )

Purpose: Students build models of several different rivers including natural and man-made features, and use these to investigate flow physics, boating hazards, and human impacts.

Time needed: 30-45 mins

Materials needed (for each group of 4-6 students:  

• 1 River box (see PREP)

• Sand, pebbles, small rocks

• Pitchers with water

• Bucket

• Plastic boats, Lego pieces, popsicle sticks, broccoli, etc. to represent boats and branches

PREP: How to build a River Box

1. Use a plastic, rectangular, waterproof box. It does not need to have a top. It should have enough depth to allow room for sand and rocks and for water flow.

2. Punch or cut a hole into one of the short sides of the box. This will be the “downstream” side of the river. The hole should be approximately 2 inches from the bottom of the box, or just above the desired level of sand. It should be about a quarter-inch in size.

3. Place the “downstream” side of the box over a sink, or on the edge of a table above a bucket. This is where the water will drain into, so if you are using a bucket make sure it is large enough. You may need to have students dump it out if it fills during the activity.

4. Fill the bottom of the box with approximately 1.5 inches of sand or small gravel, at least half an inch below the bottom edge of the hole. Be aware that some sand may wash out of the box. Add some larger pebbles to represent rocks or boulders.

5. Add rocks and pebbles. Add items such as plastic boats, game pieces, and small sticks if desired. These can represent logs, bridges, dams, etc. Add pieces of broccoli to represent fallen trees. Students can make small floating boats out of Legos.

6. Elevate the “upstream” side of the box (opposite the hole) slightly with a binder, piece of wood, or other flat stable object. A couple of inches of elevation should be enough for good water flow.

Instructions: 

ENGAGE: 

• Ask students if they've ever spent time on or near a river. What did they do there? What did they observe? How was the water moving?

• Provide some background information: Tell students that rivers are dynamic, ever-changing bodies of water that can provide recreation, clean water, and habitat for important species. The way a river behaves is a result of many factors. These can be either natural or man-made. Surface and submerged obstacles (such as rocks, trees, and branches), narrow channels, and rainfall or landslide events influence the way that the river is shaped and its flow speed. Dams and other man-made structures also determine river behavior. Sediment, or particles of dirt, sand, or tiny rocks, plays an important role in the size and shape of a riverbed. This means how much sediment is delivered, deposited, or washed away, and the rate of these processes. Erosion is the process of sediments being carried away—by wind, water, or debris. Deposition is the process of sediment being delivered to the river—by rain, landslides, wind or gravity. The more or faster the erosion, the wider and deeper the riverbed. If deposition is the dominant process, the channel will be narrower and the riverbed steeper. Of course, in a natural system these processes are constantly changing and competing. A river that is low, slow, and calm may be a turbulent roaring river after a large snowmelt, dam collapse, or other event.

• Explain that each group is going to create their own mini-rivers and try to determine how both natural and human-made features impact water flow.

EXPLORE:

• Distribute materials and allow student groups to build their model of a river however they want to start. There is no right or wrong way—the variety of their river models will help to illustrate concepts later.

• Once initial rivers are complete, have students pour a small amount of water starting at the furthest point “upstream” (opposite the hole in the box). What happens to the rocks or obstacles they put in their model? How does the water move around these objects? Encourage sharing aloud of observations.

• Tell students their next challenge is to build a river that will flow quickly. The goal is to design a model that allows water to flow as fast as possible. Allow time for students to build, then again pour water down the river. Was the flow as fast as they expected? Why or why not?

• Next, instruct students to build a river that flows very slowly. Repeat the experiment and discuss results.

EXPLAIN: After these experiments, help students identify patterns in their results. Note that straight, clean rivers will flow more quickly than meandering rivers with many turns or obstacles. Why is this? Have students brainstorm answers. 

ELABORATE: Ask students how they think different types of streams or rivers might affect salmon. Allow them to share their ideas, then explain that a salmon's favorite type of river is one with cold, clear, fast-flowing water - but not TOO fast! And they like rivers that have some pools and sheltered areas to rest.

EVALUATE: Can students describe different types of rivers and how they affect fish such as salmon?

Purpose: Students will learn how Native Americans relate to salmon as a sacred resource. The oral storytelling is a traditional story passed down from generation to generation with a very important message relating to how humans affect the salmon population. 

Time needed: 60-90 minutes / 2-3 class sessions

Materials needed: computer and projector; copies of indigenous artwork sheet (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/education/docs/sacred-smon-sacre-pub-eng.pdf); 

Prep: If possible, schedule an indigenous guest speaker to visit your classroom (See “Elaborate” section below) 

Instructions:

ENGAGE: Ask - How do we as humans interact with salmon? What are some ways that people and salmon are connected? Tell students that people have depended upon salmon for many generations and thousands of years. The ways that people and salmon (and their habitats) interact have changed over time.

PART 1 - EXPLORE: 

• Watch this video about the First Salmon Ceremony by PBS (6 mins): https://www.pbs.org/video/oregon-field-guide-first-salmon-ceremony/ 

Ask students - what do you think this experience meant to Agnes Pilgrim (the grandmother)? What did it mean to her family and tribe members? What does it mean to you?

• Bring up this image on your projector screen: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/education/docs/sacred-smon-sacre-pub-eng.html Explain that this is indigenous artwork representing the salmon life cycle and the connections of salmon to land, sky, water, and people. Ask students to study the image for a few moments, then point out the animals, objects, and actions that they see.

• Provide a printed copy of the first page only of the artwork PDF (linked about in “Materials”) to each student. Ask them to study it quietly for a few minutes, while they try to determine what story the picture is telling. You can have students write down whatever story they see if you wish.

• Provide the second page, which shows some of the objects in the picture and explains what they symbolize. Ask students to quietly read this page, and then share if and how it matches the story they imagined for the painting.

• Listen to the story “Swimmer”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZO4ZDXhPl0  This discusses the importance of Salmon to the Native American culture.

EXPLAIN: Ask students to share aloud what their favorite symbol(s) were, and why. What do they like, or dislike, about this artwork? 

PART 2 - ELABORATE: Invite the member(s) of a local tribe to visit your classroom (in-person or via Zoom) and tell a story about salmon. In Lincoln County, Jesse Beers of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is available for these sessions. Contact education@aquarium.org for his contact information to set up a class visit. 

After the visit, let the students share their thoughts about the story your indigenous speaker told.  What was the message or lesson? Let them ask the guest speaker any questions they have about the story or about their culture and heritage.

EVALUATE: Have the students write a brief 4-5 sentence summary exit ticket to this activity, answering the question: What will I remember from this activity in one year?

Additional Resource: Oregon Department of Education developed a series of 4th grade salmon activities to fulfill Senate Bill 13 - Tribal History curriculum requirements. Check out the lesson plans and other resources here: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/NativeAmericanEducation/Documents/SB13%20Curriculum/Lesson%20Plan.pdf 

Purpose: Students will develop inquiry, oral language, and argumentation skills, through participation in an informed debate on a controversial issue, while considering various points of view. 

Time needed: 60-90 mins over 2-3 class sessions. The actual debate activity can be done in 20-30 minutes. However, several lead-up lessons are needed to establish rules of engagement, research, and preparation for discussion will be needed.

Materials needed:  

• Rules of engagement anchor chart created with class (see Lesson 3 below)

• Pre-discussion organizer

• Printed copies of articles for and against hatcheries (one copy per student), found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12nu1_QSl0QqWU80i3Lv7L-2LYfKaYMPEeaLik6-68MI/edit?usp=sharing 

Instructions: (NOTE: if you’ve never used the Philosophical Chair technique before, here’s a good outline.)

ENGAGE: 

• Lesson 1 - Research. Have students perform a close read of the above articles. Ask them to mark up the text and highlight the main points.

• Lesson 2 - Introduce the statement to discuss: “Hatcheries are a good way to help salmon.” Write this on the board. Have students choose a side (“agree” or “disagree”) and organize their reasons to support that side in a list. Encourage them to recall all they’ve learned in the videos, articles, and throughout this whole program.

• Lesson 3 - Make an anchor chart as a class outlining the rules for engagement they wish to follow in a debate These may include one person speaking at a time; looking at the speaker and using body language that shows you’re listening; using respectful language; etc.

EXPLORE:

• Lesson 4 - Practice the philosophical chair about a low stakes topic, such as “chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream” or anything similarly simple.

• Lesson 5 - Philosophical Chair Debate! 

  • Ask students to move to sit or stand in an “agree” row and a “disagree” row facing each other. Undecided students can stand on the side, facing them.

  • Repeat the discussion statement introduced in Lesson 2 above - “Hatcheries are a good way to help salmon”. Invite the first person to speak and give a clear rationale for their belief. The next student should then summarize what that person said before they share their own thoughts.

  • Call on students to speak if necessary, and remind students to stay focused on the topic. The two sides should alternate speaking at first. But as the discussion goes on, and the class gets better at listening and respecting each other, it’s normal for students to relax about the order—as long as everyone still contributes and is respectful.

  • Students are not required to speak, but ask for everyone to show that they’re listening alertly.

  • Students are allowed to switch sides at any time. They don’t give an explanation—they just move to the other row. Ask them to speak up soon after moving to share what point changed their mind, and then add their thoughts.

  • Students who are undecided never have to pick a side, but they do have to share what they see as the strongest points from either side and say why they thought those points were the most compelling, even if they were not ultimately convinced. 

  • If you sense that both sides are not being open-minded about a statement, have them do something called a Lincoln Debate—everyone has to switch sides and argue for the opposing position. This challenges students’ thinking and pushes them to see other perspectives.

EXPLAIN: Engage in discussion about the activity with your students. Did it seem that most of the class came to a consensus about hatcheries? Did anybody have their mind changed by somebody’s argument? If no, why not? Invite students to process and reflect upon the exercise.

ELABORATE: Ask students to think about the human side of this story - are hatcheries good for people? Why or why not? 

EVALUATE: Ask students to complete the following Reflection worksheet: https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson-plans/migrated-featured-files/philochairreflectionsheet.pdf 

Purpose: Students will play a game to better understand how and why animals use camouflage for hunting and survival.

Time needed: 15-20 mins

Materials (per student): open space in classroom or outside

ENGAGE: Ask students to define the word camouflage. Then ask, what are some ways that humans use camouflage? Many will likely reference military uniforms. Remind students that the purpose of camouflage is to blend in with one’s surroundings, and tell them that many animals are designed to do this as well, including salmon.

EXPLORE:  

• Ask students to take note of what they’re wearing, including the colors and patterns.

• Then, have students look around the room - or the outdoor space - and identify a spot that most closely matches what they are wearing in color and/or pattern.

• Ask students to go stand in their chosen spots and stand in a way that makes them “blend in” to their background as much as possible.

• Then, invite students to look around at their classmates. Who is camouflaged the best, and why?

EXPLAIN: Ask students about their experience - was it difficult or easy to blend into their surroundings? Most of them likely found it challenging. Explain that this is because their outfits weren’t designed to camouflage in a classroom (or whatever space you’re using). But for many animals, such as salmon, their physical features naturally make them blend in. Next ask students why fish like salmon need to camouflage. For most animals, this reason is twofold - it helps them blend in to both sneak up on their prey, and to hide from their predators.

ELABORATE: Back in class, show students this picture of salmon in the smolt stage and this picture of an adult salmon (or have these pictures printed and bring them along to the field). Have students describe how the salmon camouflage with their environment in both life stages. Note the ways that smolts have markings to blend in with the rocks, and how adults are silver to mimic the sunlight and ripples in the open ocean. Remind students that a salmon’s appearance changes throughout their life because they change environments at different life stages, and therefore need  different coloration.

EVALUATE: Can students define camouflage and describe some ways that animals use camouflage in their environment?

Purpose: Students will compare their own sense of smell to a salmon’s to learn about how these fish use scent to navigate back to their natal stream.

Time needed: 20-30 mins

Materials needed: cotton balls; bottles of 3-4 different scents or baking extracts (such as vanilla, lemon, peppermint, etc.); large classroom, gym, or outdoor space

Prep: This activity requires some prior preparation. You will need to set up 3-4 different courses depending on how many different scents you want to use (and how much space you have). Soak 10-12 cotton balls in each of the different smells. For each scent, arrange the cotton balls about equidistant from each other in a meandering path across the room. Be sure to throw in some loops or sharp turns for an added challenge. The different paths can cross each other but shouldn’t overlap. At the end of each smell course, place a sign that says “You’re home!”

Instructions:

ENGAGE: Ask students: How do salmon find their way back to their natal stream - the place where they were born - to spawn? There are two correct answers - salmon use both their built-in compass, called magnetite, to navigate using the earth’s magnetic fields; AND they use their sense of smell, remembering exactly what their home stream smells like. Then, ask students if they can think of any special smells that mean something to them (like the smell of sunscreen reminding them of the beach, peppermint at Christmas, etc.)

EXPLORE: Tell students that they’re going to use their sense of smell to try to navigate across the “river” (i.e. the space you’re using). They will each be assigned a certain smell that they need to try to follow until they reach their “natal stream” - a designated endpoint. 

• Give each student one cotton ball soaked in one of the scents you’ve chosen (see Materials section). Give them a few minutes to smell it, encouraging them to really breathe deep and try to memorize exactly what it smells like. They can also try to identify what scent they have during this time.

• Ask if anybody wants to try to navigate the “river” using their sense of smell. Depending on how many different scents you have, you can have 3-6 students try to navigate the course at a time. Have your first round of volunteers stand at the starting line, then tell them GO!

• Students who aren’t participating should stay in their seats (or on the sidelines) and cheer their classmates on but not interfere with the activity.

• Repeat the game as many times as you want or have the time for.

EXPLAIN: When all of the participants have found their “homes”, ask: was that easy or difficult? Why? Remind students that for salmon, this process is actually much harder because of the flowing water, which is constantly moving things around and introducing new scents to the stream. They might also have to deal with obstacles such as predators, fallen trees, etc.

ELABORATE: Discuss the ways that other kinds of animals navigate during their migrations. Here are some great examples. You could also try this activity about animal migrations from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/animal-navigation/ 

EVALUATE: Can students describe the ways that salmon navigate, and why they return to their home streams?

Purpose: Students will get hands-on experience using kid-friendly scientific tools to look for macroinvertebrates in creek samples. These samples will help the students understand the health of the creek and interconnected relationship of all living organisms in a watershed.

Time: 60-90 mins/ 3-4 class sessions. The first session will provide the background information, what are micro- and macroinvertebrates and why they are important in our creeks. Session 2 is the hands-on experience looking at samples and collecting data. Session 3 debriefs on the findings and what it tells us about the creek and the health of salmon habitats. 

Materials: 

• Jars of local creek or stream water - one per small group of 2-3 students

• Class set of clear eye droppers or pipettes

• Magnified bug jars, such as these - one per small group

• Class set of “Microscopes & Macroinvertebrate” workbooks

• Pencils

• Google slides for session 1:  (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1heM74rvxdVijCSSuZf1QjjJQ8Y4zRB59IYx4Tb2JSOo/edit?usp=sharing)

• “Microscopes & Macroinvertebrate” workbooks: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GQWRw8yH3eRBCdJYO-gqzdzWOESm0mEmKCyjUWX1f5Q/edit?usp=sharing

Prep: Prior to Session 2 you will need to collect one large sample of creek water - try to get both flowing and stagnant water where bugs may hang out, leaves and debris are okay to collect with water. Alternatively, you could collect water with students during a Field Trip.

Instructions: 

ENGAGE - Session 1: Use the above linked Google slides to share what micro- and macroinvertebrates are, the importance of these critters to the sustainability of salmon in creeks, and how they are a key indicator of the health of the creek. 

EXPLORE - Session 2 

• Give each student an eyedropper or pipette, and one magnified jar plus one jar of stream water per table group.

• Allow students a few minutes to look through the “Microscopes & Macroinvertebrate” workbook (linked above). Ask them to take note of what types of organisms they might find, what they look like, etc.

• Have students turn to page 8 in their workbooks. Tell them they’re going to be identifying and counting critters from their water samples in order to learn about the health of the waterway they were collected from.

• Ask students to use their eyedroppers to carefully collect any visible creatures from their jar of creek water. Move the animals into the magnified bug jar. Each time they find a new organism, have them identify it using their workbooks. They should circle anything they find that is listed on Page 8.

• After groups have had plenty of time to collect and identify macroinvertebrates, refer them to Page 9 of the workbook. Have them count and total the number of organisms they found from each pollutant-tolerance group.

EXPLAIN: Session 3 - Collect all data on one class sheet for a full scope of the creek. Talk about what they found and how that may indicate how healthy the creek is. Instruct students to complete the last 3 pages of the workbook, which has a series of questions that connect to creek health, salmon sustainability, and why macroinvertebrates are so important. Students can then draw their favorite critter and describe how their adaptations help them survive.

ELABORATE: Insect Art! You will need: a class set of styrofoam trays; a class set of foam rollers, tray and brush set (sold at dollar tree); plate or tray for paint; variety of paints; pencils; construction paper in a variety of colors. 

Start by asking the students to lightly sketch their favorite macroinvertebrate using a sharpened pencil on the foam tray. Make sure the lines are about an ⅛ inch thick and deep (try to avoid going through the tray). Test out a few layers of paint (too thick and not enough paint will not show the lines). Once they have the right amount of paint, print onto a contrasting colored construction paper. Have them label their macroinvertebrates.

EVALUATE: A call to action - ask the students to think about ways they could help improve the health of the creek. Use what they know about the watershed, human impact, and salmon needs to generate ideas about ways you can help. Note these ideas on a chart, and return to them at the end of the unit when coming up with your Authentic Project.