Welcome to HCOE’s California Aquairuim Education Program: Steelhead in the Classroom! We are so excited to have you join our program.
Our goal is to provide an exceptional learning opportunity for students. Our team will help you and your students set up an aquarium in the classroom, receive fish eggs under a special California Department of Fish and Wildlife permit, and observe the fish as they hatch and develop.
In addition, we are so excited to announce that Blue Lake Rancheria’s Pathmakers program has partnered with our Steelhead in the Classroom Program to create culturally and linguistically responsive programming for Native and non-Native youth related to our local Steelhead and waterways. For more information about this partnership contact Marlee Chavez, Pathmakers Community Programs Coordinator, at 360-771-9808 or mchavez@bluelakerancheria-nsn.gov.
Weekly Fish and Wildlife Curriculum
Week 1
Eggs go into the tank, Tank Time with Tom, Q&A with a biologist and more
Week 2
Eggs are hatching, we learn about alevin, silt and gravel, ask a biologist and more
Week 3
Anatomy of steelhead, Tank Time with Tom, ask a biologist and more
Week 4
What’s a rainbow trout, what’s a steelhead, Tank Time with Tom, ask a biologist and more
Week 5
Steelhead fry habitat, Tank Time with Tom, ask a biologist and more
Week 6
What you can do to keep your streams clean, Tank Time with Tom, ask a biologist and more
Week 7
Stream snacks, steelhead food and what it tells us, Tank Time with Tom, and ask a biologist
Week 8
Helping wild fish survive, Tank Time with Tom, ask a biologist and more
Week 9
It’s the big day Tank Time with Tom goes stream side to release our fish!
Week 10
TBD
Classroom Presentations
with Nordic Aquafarms
Explore the world of aquaculture with a classroom presentation from a Nordic Aquafarms representative. Teachers can choose from a variety of topics including the salmon life cycle, how salmon are grown on a land-based aquafarm, best practices for healthy fish farming, the history of aquaculture, the embodiment of STEM in land-based RAS farms and more. Nordic representatives are happy to customize presentations to fit your classroom needs.
Browse through the available topics below, and then fill out an online request to begin the process.
K-5 Zoom Classroom Presentation with Jacki Cassida (Community Liaison-Maine)
In this presentation Jacki will cover topics including the salmon life cycle and being an anadromous fish, and how salmon are grown on a land-based aquafarm. Students will be shown how a land-based operation works in terms of best practices for healthy fish farming.
Grades 6-8 Zoom Classroom Presentation with Jacki Cassida (Community Liaison-Maine)
In this presentation Jacki will cover topics including the salmon life cycle and being an anadromous fish, and how growing salmon on an aquafarm compares to other farms for beef, chicken and pork. Students will be shown how a land-based operation works in terms of best practices for healthy fish farming. Topics regarding food sustainability, traceability, public perceptions and career paths are also covered.
Grades 9-12 Classroom Presentation (Zoom or in-person) with Scott Thompson (Project Manager/Engineer-Humboldt) and/or Carter Cyr (Production Manager-Maine)
In this presentation students will learn about the history of aquaculture, get an overview of the Nordic Aquafarms project, learn about Nordic systems and technologies, and an introduction to career opportunities in the field.
Grades 9-12 Zoom Classroom Presentation with Nick King (VP Operational Quality Control-Maine)
Dive deeper into the world of aquaculture. Teachers can select on or more areas of interest for Nick to focus on. Potential topics include: The embodiment of STEM in land-based RAS farms, fish health and welfare in aquaculture, biosecurity on the farm, aquaculture feed and nutrition, and aquaculture systems for seafood production (versus conservation aquaculture).
California Fish and Wildlife Additional Resources
A Fry’s Eye View: Hatching Our Trout from Egg to Stream
By Ethan Rotman, CA Fish and Wildlife
This book gives your students an idea of what it would be like to hatch trout in their very own classroom.
A Fisheye’s View: Hatching Your Students into Trout Caretakers
By Ethan Rotman, CA Fish and Wildlife
This book gives teachers an introduction to CAEP. IT includes the benefits, challenging aspects, and personal experiences from this program.
Ask a Biologist
Do your students have questions about fish? Ask them here, and Shelly Springs from Sonoma Water will ask a fisheries biologist.
Pathmakers Resources
Meet our Team:
Shannon Morago
Program Coordinator
smorago@hcoe.org
Jim Stemach
Steelhead in the Classroom Lead
Jstemach@hcoe.org
Thank you to our Sponsors:
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