Today’s Fish Is Your Tomorrow By Pam Garcia, Lisa Golisek, Bonita Nelson August 2, 2011

Summary By learning about local fish habitat, students are able to understand how survivability of juvenile fish is crucial to not only the survival of their own species but to all species along the food chain which ultimately affects food sources, recreation, cultural traditions, and economy of humans.

Essential Questions Why does the survival of juvenile fish matter? How does the survival of juvenile fish affect your future? What affects the survival of juvenile fish?

Human Connections to Fish Personal Connections Jobs (Direct & Indirect) Current Events

Out in the Field Habitat observations (Informal) Data Collection (measure water quality using Secchi disks, minnow traps, thermometers…) Compare different bodies of water, different locations at one site, and different seasons

Be the Fish Visualize factors affecting survivability of juvenile fish Sketch in science notebook with labels

Community History Interview community members What were local streams, lakes, or oceans like in the past compared to now? How have these waters changed physically and productively?

Mystery Introduce the Steller sea lion mystery Students predict reasons for change in populations Can they link the big idea of interdependency of living organisms?

Assessments Pre and Post responses to Essential Questions Overall Quality of Content in Science Notebooks Artistic representation (drama, art, creative writing)

Additional Resources Salmon in the Trees Steve the Stickleback “Dolly Garza: A Tlingit & Haida Scientist” (videoclip)

Enrichment Activities Visit local museum (cultural fishing practices, Science on the Globe) Why is fishing important to Alaska Natives? What did Native people need to know to fish? What tools were used for fishing? What happens to fish and the fishery if the habitat changes?

Enrichment Activity Visit NOAA station (fish aquarium, life history of fish, Gulf of Alaska project)