Alaska Salmon in the Classroom

211 Pages·2013·7.77 MB·English

Alaska
©2013
Adapted with permission from Canada’s
Fisheries and Oceans program:
Salmonid In The Classroom
Salmon
Funded by a grant through Alaska
Department of Fish and Game
Jay Baumer
In The
Aquatic Education Fisheries Biologist
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Division of Sport Fish, Region II
Classroom
Publication design by Denise Buchanan
ASD Science Teachers:
Judith Onslow
Catherine Boutin
Shannon Bolog
Susan Oliver
Ella Bredthauer
Helen O’Harra
Alaska Salmon In
The Classroom
! Skein 1! ! Overview: Building Knowledge...................Pages 2-30
! Skein 2! ! Spawners: Return From The Sea..............Pages 1-49
! Skein 3! ! Salmon Eggs.........................................................Pages 1-14
! Skein 4! ! Water Cycle: Water Shed.............................Pages 1-16
! Skein 5! ! Salmon Habitat....................................................Pages 1-18
! Skein 6! ! Salmon Alevin......................................................Pages 1-14
! Skein 7! ! Salmon Fry............................................................Pages 1-12
! Skein 8! ! Salmon Smolt.......................................................Pages 1-14
! Skein 9! ! Adult Salmon......................................................Pages 1-20
! Glossary! ! Primary Grades (K-3)
! Glossary! ! Intermediate Grades (4-6)
! *** Prior to the Egg Take:
! ! Do Skein 1, Pages 2-29 & Skein 2, Pages 1-17.
Page 1 Skein 1
Overview:
Skein 1
This skein gives students the opportunity to:
o P / I Examine and discuss their
! pre-existing ideas about salmon.
o P / I Discuss and review life cycle
of familiar plants and animals.
o P Observe how organisms relate to
their environment at different
stages in their lifecycle.
Overview
o I Discuss and Review the stages of
a salmon’s life cycle, and the
specific needs of each stage.
Big Ideas:
o All living things have a life cycle
that is related to their needs and
their habitat.
Building
o The stages in a salmon’s life form a
cycle, but each stage has specific
Knowledge
needs and is vulnerable to
disruption and mortality of an
alevin.
Vocabulary:
! salmon, life cycle, egg, alevin, fry,
! smolt, adult, spawner
Page 2 Skein 1
Important Standards Netted by Teaching Skein 1
SCIENCE
Fourth Grade!! Fifth Grade! ! Sixth Grade
SA 1.1!! ! SA 1.1! ! ! SA 1.1
SA 3.1!! ! SA 3.1! ! ! SA 3.1
SC 2.1!! ! SC 2.1! ! ! SA 2.2
SC 2.2!! ! SC 2.2
SC 3.1!! ! SC 3.1
MATH 3-6! ! WRITING 3-6!! READING 3-6
2.2.2.1!! ! W 1.1! ! ! R 2.1
2.2.3! ! ! W 2.1! ! ! R 2.4
! ! ! ! ! ! R 1.5
! ! ! ! ! ! R 2.5
Page 3 Skein 1
P
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
LIFE CYCLES
Pacific salmon move through several distinct oxygen from the flowing water by using
stages in their lives, as all living things do. their gills.
Each generation begins a new generation and
✦ Fry: Once the yolk sac has been fully
another set of life stages. We refer to this
absorbed, the alevin leave the gravel as
process as a life cycle. In salmon, each stage
fry to search for food. They emerge from
of the life cycle takes place in a specific
the stream or lake bed, usually in late
habitat, and has specific needs.
spring, and swim to the surface. At the
The stages in the life of Pacific salmon are as surface, they swallow air to inflate an
follows: internal swim bladder, which overcomes
✦ Eggs: In late fall, adult salmon deposit their natural body weight and achieves
neutral buoyancy, allowing them to move
thousands of eggs in a redd, a gravel
easily up or down in the water. Salmon fry
depression in a flowing stream or on a
generally swim in a small territory and
lake shoreline, and cover the eggs with
feed on whatever aquatic organisms drift
more gravel. The eggs, always sensitive to
through it. For protective coloring, they
temperature, are particularly sensitive to
develop dark bars on their skin known as
movement at this stage, and need to
parr marks, which disappear in the next
remain undisturbed in the gravel. As cold,
stage of their lives. They spend from a few
clean water containing oxygen flows
months to a few years in their natal
through the gravel, an embryo develops
stream or lake, depending on the species.
the fertilized egg, and after about one
At this stage, they learn to recognize their
month eyes become visible. The embryo
natal environment, primarily by
gets the food it needs from the yolk of
characteristic smells created in the water
the egg, and oxygen from the water.
by rocks, plant life, and other aquatic
Disturbances such as changing water
organisms.
temperature, speed of water flow and
polluted water or silt deposited on the ✦ Smolt: After their time in a stream or lake,
stream or lake bed can destroy the eggs. salmon migrate downstream. When they
In early spring, the surviving embryos reach the estuary where the river meets
break through the membrane of the egg the ocean, they spend some time there as
and hatch. They can move through the smolt adapting to salt water. Smolt
gravel, but they still face many threats: gradually develop the ability to swallow
silt can still smother them, changes in salt water and expel the salt in their urine
water temperature or speed of water flow and through their gills. The scales that
can be harmful, and predators catch developed when they were fry turn to a
many. silvery color. Estuary life is rich with
✦ Alevin: (The A is pronounced either AY as abundant food, so smolt can grow rapidly,
but estuaries are also home to many
in play, or AH as in cat.) Alevin are mobile
predators, such as birds, larger fish, and
embryos. The yolk sac is still attached and
also to human development.
provides food for the alevin for two to
three months as they continue to develop
hidden in the gravel. Alevin extract ✦ Adults: Salmon migrate into the ocean,
where they grow to adulthood with silvery
Page 4 Skein 1
P
bellies and darker backs. Each species bodies begin to change. Using stored
migrates to a particular part of the energy, they travel 30 to 50 km (20-30
Pacific Coast from California to Northwest miles) upstream per day, often past
Alaska, sometimes ranging thousands of waterfalls, and fallen obstacles. On the
kilometers (km; or miles). They eat way, they become food for eagles, bears,
smaller ocean fish, krill (tiny crustaceans), wolves and people. When they reach the
and grow to their mature weight. area where they lived as fry, the female
Predators include large fish, fish-eating digs a redd with her tail and fins. She
birds, marine mammals and human deposits her eggs and a male releases his
fishers. After a time, varying from one to milt to fertilize them. The female then
eight years, they return and congregate covers the eggs with fresh gravel. While a
at the mouth of their river of origin. single coho salmon produces about three
Salmon seem to use a variety of visual thousand eggs, other species can produce
and magnetic clues to navigate the ocean, as many as seven thousand. Both male and
then rely mainly on their sense of smell female die within a few days of laying and
to identify their natal stream or lake. fertilizing the eggs. Their carcasses
contribute essential nutrients that fertilize
!
Spawners: When they enter their river of
the rearing area for the next generation
origin in the fall and begin to travel
of fry.
upstream, salmon stop eating and their
----------
Sockeye Salmon
_______
Chum Salmon
......................
Chinook Salmon
_._._._._.
Coho Salmon
__ __ __
Pink Salmon
Page 5 Skein 1
I

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Salmon Life Cycle Needs and Threats
Life Cycle NNeeeeddss TThhrreeaattss
Stage
Habitat Food Predators Other
EGG
•Head and body •Oxygenated water •Yolk of Egg •Fish, such as: trout, •Gravel movement
formation begin •Temperature from char, grayling, •Drastic change in
•Organ formation 5° to 9°C burbot, whitefish, water temperature
begins (42° to 50° F) sculpin and •Drastic change in
•Eyes become •Silt-free gravel bed suckers. water level
visible •Steady water flow •Birds, such as: •Siltation
•Stream cover kingfisher, gulls, •Fine sediment
terns,fish-eating •Disease
ducks, shore birds, •Pollution
and ducks
•Mammals, such as:
minks and river
otters.
ALEVIN
•Embryo breaks •Oxygenated water •Yolk sac •Fish, such as: trout, •Gravel movement
through egg •Temperature from char, grayling, •Drastic change in
membrane 5° to 14°C burbot, whitefish, water temperature
•Oxygen absorbed (42° to 60° F) sculpin and •Drastic change in
through gills •Silt-free gravel suckers. water level
•Lives in gravel •Steady water flow •Birds, such as: •Siltation
spaces •Stream cover kingfisher, gulls, •Fine sediment
terns, fish-eating •Disease
ducks, shore birds, •Pollution
and ducks.
•Mammals, such as:
minks and river
otters.
FRY
•Inflates swim •Oxygenated water •Larval and adult •Fish, such as: trout, •Gravel movement
bladder •Temperature from terrestrial and char, grayling, •Drastic change in
•Catches food 5° to 14°C aquatic insects, burbot, whitefish, water temperature
•Exhibits darting (42° to 60° F) (e.g., mayfly, sheefish, sculpin •Drastic change in
reflex •Even water level caddisfly, true flies) and northern pike. water level
•Avoids light and flow •Rotting fish •Birds, such as: •Siltation
•Guards territory •Stream cover carcasses kingfisher, gulls, •Fine sediment
•Imprints home •Fish eggs terns, fish-eating •Disease
scent ducks, shore birds, •Pollution
•Develops scales ducks and eagles. •Blockage of
•Mammals, such as: migration route
minks and river
otters.
Page 6 Skein 1
I
Life Cycle NNeeeeddss TThhrreeaattss
Stage
Habitat Food Predators Other
SMOLT
•Migrates to •Unpolluted water •Zooplankton •Fish (saltwater), •Filling or dredging
estuary in river and (copepods, such as: other of estuary
•Adapts to salt estuary amphipods, salmon, pollock •Pollution of
water •Estuary vegetation euphausids) and cod. estuary
•Scales develop for shelter •Insects, (e.g., •Birds, such as: •Diversion of river
silver color beetles, ants, kingfisher, gulls, water
•Increases size grasshoppers, terns, fish-eating
caterpillars) ducks, sea ducks
•Worms and eagles.
•Sandfleas •Mammals, such
•Shrimp as: otters, seals
•Smaller fish and whales.
Ocean-Phase
Salmon •Ocean water •Zooplankton •Fish (saltwater), •Ocean pollution
•Migrates into (copepods, such as: other •Ocean
ocean amphipods, salmon, pollock, temperature
•Increases size euphausids) cod, lingcod and change
•Stocks •Larval sharks. •Fishing
intermingle, then crustaceans, (e.g., •Birds, such as:
return to natal crab, shrimp) gulls, terns, sea
river •Smaller fish ducks and eagles
•Mammals, such
as: seals, whales,
sea lions and
people.
Spawner
•Eggs, milt develop •Migration route •None •Fish: None •Very high or low
•Secondary sexual free from •Birds, such as: water levels
characteristics obstruction Gulls and Eagles. •Warm river
develop (color, •Oxygenated water •Mammals, such temperatures
shape, teeth) •Cool clean water as: Seals, whales, •Obstructions
•Scales absorbed •Silt-free gravel sea lions, bears, (dams, slides, log
•Eating stops wolves and jams, etc.)
•Organs people. •Diseases
degenerate •Pollution
Page 7 Skein 1
P
☞ Have groups of students sort labeled
pictures into categories based on their own
criteria.
Building
☞ Have groups explain their categories to the
class, and identify any words they do not
know. Provide a definition for unknown words
Vocabulary
(see Glossary), and make a salmon dictionary
on a chart posted in the classroom. Continue to
add words to the dictionary from the skeins
that follow.
☞ Have students select the pictures showing the
salmon’s life cycle and predict what the stage
Materials:
will be about.
 Labeled pictures of various
Salmon stages: egg, alevin, fry, smolt, adult,
plants, animals and fish for
spawner.
each group of students
 Copies of Handout 1.1, “Salmon
☞ Explain that the Alaska Salmon in the
Stages,” for each group, cut
into individual illustrations Classroom activities will look at how salmon
 Salmon science notebook to develop. If appropriate, outline how you plan to
collect materials related to present Alaska Salmon in the Classroom
salmon throughout the year.
☞ Have students write their new words in their
Time Required: salmon science notebook.
One lesson
Level of Conceptual Difficulty:
Simple
Evidence for Assessment:
Monitor student ideas and comments
to ensure they understand the
meaning of basic salmon vocabulary.
Page 8 Skein 1
Silvery fish enter the
rivers - headed for
the spawning areas
Change in form
and color as
they advance
Spawner
Adult
In the fall spawning
Alevin hatch
salmon deposit eggs in
Life Cycle from the egg
gravel nests and die
of the
Pacific Salmon
And grow to
maturity in (2 to 7 years) Fry emerge
the Pacific from the gravel
in the spring
Enter the
Pacific Ocean
And grow in
the stream
Enter the
Pacific Ocean
Smolt migrate
downstream
Page 9 Skein 1