Coho salmon and fish tank are provided through
the Clark Co. PUD-sponsored Salmon in the
Classroom Program

Selected salmon-related links (the links below lead to websites
not maintained by BGSD) :

• Salmon Facts - WA Depart. of Fish & Wildlife
• Sockeye Salmon info - WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
• Salmon of the West - U.S. Fish & Wildlife
• Pacific Salmon & Steelhead Coloring Book <-- downloads a .pdf file
• Coastal Steelhead Trout - Oregon Sea Grant/OSU
• Salmon & Steelhead fact sheets - Clark County Endangered Species Act resources
• Anadromous Fish Life History Profiles - Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
• Salmon: Spirit of the Land and Sea - One World Journeys
• Salmon Watcher - King County
• Salmon Quiz, Game & Slideshow - King Co. Dept. of Resouces & Parks
  

Life Cycle Summary Worksheet:

• Salmon Life Cycle Summary (.pdf) - Blank student worksheet to summarize stages of the salmon's life and list helps and hazards to their survival. The seven suggested stages include: 1) egg, 2) alevin, 3) fry, 4) smolt,
  5) ocean (juvenile to adult), 6) migrating adult, 7) spawning & death
  

Salmon/Trout Anatomy & Dissection Information:

• Salmonids in the Classroom: Dissection - Pacific Streamkeepers Federation; Fisheries
  and Oceans Canada
• Classroom Salmon Dissection (with downloadable anatomy handouts) - Alaska Department
  of Fish and Game
  

Monitoring the Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Runs:

• Students use data taken from salmon/steelhead counts at Bonneville Dam to construct Excel spreadsheets and graphs. The data is then analyzed and discussed with regards to changes and trends.
• Adult Salmon Homepage - Fish Passage Center salmon count data
  

Project: Salmon Life Cycle Game

Students will develop a board game that shows the life cycle, the positive influences (helps) and the hazards faced by the Pacific salmon/steelhead. The game will begin with the fertilized eggs and conclude with the spawning adults. In between, the game must include the alevin (in the gravel), fry (in the stream), smolt (downstream migration), ocean, and adult (upstream) migration stages of the salmon’s life. The students must also place appropriate hazards and helps that affect the salmon’s survival at different stages of their life. These helps and hazards should include both natural and man-made sources. For example, the ocean threats include being caught in nets by commercial fishers and predation by marine mammals (sea lions, orcas, ...). Positive conditions could include favorable ocean temperatures and plenty of food for salmon to eat.

One way to complete the project is to create a game similar to “Life.” Players may spin or role a die as they work their way around the board and follow the instructions for the square on which they land. Spaces may be favorable, hazardous, or blank. When instructed, players may be required to lose a turn, move backwards, or move forward to an open space. The game should follow the salmon’s life cycle and the challenges should be appropriate for each stage. The winner of the game is the first player to complete the journey of the salmon.

Another way to create a game is for each player to begin with an equal number of chips, or points. At each stage of the game the players spin a number between 1-3. Each number represents a condition that either favors or threatens the salmon at that stage of their life. If it favors the salmon, then no chips or points are lost. If it threatens a salmon, then either 1 or 2 chips (maybe more if using points) are lost. The winner is the person with the most chips or points at the end of the game.

The objective of the project is for students to express their understanding of the life cycle and challenges of the Pacific Salmon in a creative way. The following criteria will be used for evaluating the project:

Salmon Game Project: evaluation form (.pdf)

Salmon Images

salmon egg	alevin
yolk sac nearly gone	small fry
large fry	one of the lucky ones

Photos by Michael Clapp

Eggs, alevin, and fry images were taken in our salmon tank -- part of the Salmon in the Classroom project sponsored by the Clark County PUD. Salmon carcass photo was taken during late fall at Lewisville Park, along the East Fork Lewis River.