STREAM TO SEA for Intermediate Grades

DFO Learning Resources

• Salmonids in the classroom-Intermediate
  245 page text available through download as PDF from DFO website
• Stewardship and Sustainability lesson plans available on DFO website
• Environmental Learning and Experience (ELE) framework

Additional DFO Resources

• Beach Explorations
• Exploring the Seashore-Field Guide
• Fish in the Floodlights
• Life Cycle Journey Poster
• Life Cycle Stages Poster Set of 8
• Ocean Animal Clue Cards
• Once Upon a Seashore
• Pacific Coast Information Cards
• Salish Sea - A Handbook for Educators
• Table Talk
• The Watershed Works
• Window on the Fraser

Activities, Brochures and Services

• Brochures
• Classroom Incubation Program
• Marine and Aquatic Educators' Guide
• Storm Drain Marking Program
• Teacher In-service Sessions
• The Streamkeepers Handbook: A Practical Guide to Stream and Wetland Care

DFO Learning Resources

Salmonids in the Classroom-Intermediate

The original version of this resource was voted one of the BCTF's top ten lesson aids. The update is even better, based on focus groups with BC teachers and field-tested in BC and the Yukon. These revised science-based activities on the salmon life cycle can be integrated across the curriculum. The resource includes backgrounders, handouts on biology and habitat, extension activities and links to IRPs. Beautiful illustrations, student worksheets and a home connections section are included in each unit. Clearly organized to accommodate lesson planning. Published 2002. 245 pages. Download Salmonids in the Classroom-Intermediate Lessons as individual PDF files OR download complete Salmonids in the Classroom-Intermediate package in PDF format (this may take several minutes). Available from DFO.

Additional DFO Resources

Beach Explorations

This resource guide enables any teacher to help students understand basic seashore ecology. Students develop basic inquiry skills, including how to collect and identify plankton, use microscopes, conduct beach studies, keep a field notebook, and much more. Published 2000. 287 pages. Available from Kingfisher Press.

Exploring the Seashore - Field Guide

Full title: "Exploring the Seashore in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon: A New Guide to Shorebirds and Intertidal Plants and Animals". This field guide by Gloria Snively enables anyone to identify our seashore creatures and why they eat, behave, and protect themselves the way they do. Observation, understanding, and appreciation do lead, finally, to conservation. Besides a glossary of illustrated terms, this book contains 9 maps, 24 black and white photographs, 94 full-color photographs, and 285 line drawings. 240 pages. Published 1978. Available from Kingfisher Press.

 Fish in the Floodlights

Nine short scripted dramatic pieces for students in the intermediate grades. The materials are intended to provide teachers with "launching pads" for initiating theme units involving such topics as stewardship, resource use conflicts, First Nations and fishing, and salmon enhancement. Suggestions for integration with Science, Social Studies and Language Arts are provided. Published 1993. 171 pages. Available from DFO.

Life Cycle Journey Poster

Colour poster of salmon migration from stream to ocean and home again. Detailed highlights give stages of life cycle. Included with Primary Salmonids in the Classroom. 46 cm x 91cm. Published 2002. Available from DFO.

 Life Cycle Stages Poster Set of 8

Eight color posters depicting the life cycle stages of salmon. These posters work well with the Primary Salmonids in the Classroom package. 8 posters. (28 cm x 38 cm). Published 1988. Available from DFO.

Ocean Animal Clue Cards

Students will enjoy discovering the mystery plants and animals from Gloria Snively's 72 educational clue cards. Each card includes an illustration of the organism on the front side and questions on the back which provide clues to the identity of the organism. Describes our common crabs, barnacles, sea stars, snails, anemones, urchins, clams, fish, shore birds, seaweeds, and more. The cards can be used to play 12 different games that lead students into a deeper understanding of the marine environment. Although designed for school use with "Once Upon A Seashore", youth groups, nature camps and families will all find the Clue Cards a rich source of information about the natural history of Pacific Coast organisms. 72 cards and storage box. Published 2000. Available from Kingfisher Press.

Once Upon A Seashore

This wonderful ocean companion written by Gloria Snively allows teachers in both coastal and inland locations to use the seashore as a source of inspiration for integrating across art, creative writing, drama, science, mathematics, and social studies subject areas. Topics include basic ecology concepts, organisms, tidal cycles, habitat, predator-prey, food chains, life cycles, loss of habitat, and above all, conservation. Lessons include key concepts, learning outcomes, background information, teaching procedures, and evaluative techniques. Teachers are given suggestions for planning and organizing field trips as well as learning cycles for a day at the seashore. All of the activities have been field tested by BC teachers. Contains an illustrated glossary, 20 activity sheets, and 42 black and white line drawings that can be made into transparencies. The Clue Cards  have been designed for use with this resource guide. Published 2001. 304 pages. Available from Kingfisher Press.

Pacific Coast Information Cards

A set of 86 illustrated cards designed by Gloria Snively for use independently or with Beach Explorations . 86 cards. 13 cm x 18 cm. Published 2000. Available from Kingfisher Press.

Salish Sea: A Handbook for Educators

Conservation messages are brought to the next generation of decision-makers-our children-through the medium of music. The Handbook includes a copy of the Salish Sea CD, featuring singer-songwriter Holly Arntzen, accompanied by choirs from the Saanich School District on southern Vancouver Island. Richly illustrated with over 75 drawings, including 10 full-page copy masters that may be printed or made into overheads. Includes over 70 activities, integrated across the subject areas of Fine Arts, Science and Social Studies. Activities are correlated to BC Ministry of Education IRPs. Published 2001. 108 pages. Available from DFO.

Table Talk

Full Title: "Table Talk - A Learning Resource for the Study of Land and Water Allocation in British Columbia". This learning resource includes a teacher's guide and thirty-three student booklets and is designed to teach decision-making skills especially as they relate to land-use conflict. Students participate in simulations, taking on the roles of people who represent different sectors or interest groups (forestry, settlement, tourism and recreation, fishing, agriculture, mining and conservation). Working together they plan the future land-use and water use in Pangea River Valley, a hypothetical area in British Columbia. All background information is based on accurate BC statistics. The package also includes short units on watersheds, plays and two short videos entitled "Snapshots" and "Connections". Published 1996. 850 pages. Available from DFO.

The Watershed Works

Full Title: "The Watershed Works - A learning Resource for the Study of the Fraser River and its Basin." Using a jigsaw approach, this unit provides current information, maps and up-to-date field-tested teaching strategies to help students "piece together" various topics (biodiversity, river health, history, settlement, wildlife, mining, forestry, fishing, agriculture and tourism) to form a holistic picture of how the Fraser River is addressing the issue of sustainability. Published 1995. 136 pages. Available from DFO.

Window on the Fraser

Full title: "Window on the Fraser: Fraser River Action Plan". This package includes a 15 minute video, teacher and student background information, and pre-post classroom activity suggestions. The video provides an overview of the Fraser River Basin and the need to protect its valuable resources, as well as an introduction to some of the programs carried out by the federal government to improve the basin's health. Published 1994. Available from DFO.

Activities, Brochures and Services

Brochures

Sample sets of Fisheries and Oceans Canada publications can be obtained for teacher review by downloading an order form of stewardship publications. No charge. Some relevant titles:

• The Incredible Salmonids (species descriptions, migration patterns)
• Where and When to See Salmon (guide to spawning channels, hatcheries) 
• Scales and Tales (information/game sheets for ages 8 - 12)
• Home Tips for Healthy Streams

Classroom Incubation Program

Thousands of B.C. and Yukon school children are learning about salmonids in a hands-on way through Stream to Sea's Classroom Incubation Program. Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides specially-equipped aquariums for classrooms studying Salmonids in the Classroom. These aquariums are stocked with salmonid eggs, which students care for and monitor until the fry are ready for release to a local creek. This fry release provides an excellent opportunity for a field trip. While it offers one of the most rewarding educational experiences when used in conjunction with Salmonids in the Classroom or a science unit, this program does require considerable teacher commitment and attendance at an in-service session. Supply of aquariums is limited and not all requests can be met in any given year. Contact your Community Advisor or Education Coordinator to inquire about the availability of this Program in your community. No charge.

Marine and Aquatic Educators' Guide

In 1997, Fisheries and Oceans Canada undertook a review of existing marine conservation learning resources to determine if any met the key concepts identified as priority educational messages by the Department. The results of the review have been summarized in the Marine and Aquatic Educator's Resource Guide, as a service to teachers who are often seeking educational materials related to aquatic conservation. Published 2001. 49 pages. Available from DFO.

Storm Drain Marking Program

 Carried out in urban areas under sponsorship of Fisheries and Oceans Canada this program gives children an active role in protecting their environment by marking storm drains with bright yellow fish and circulating information to advise residents that these drains empty into local creeks. A video (for children) and manual (for teachers or leaders) are available. This activity is suitable for children working in small groups and supervision is mandatory. Contact your Community Advisor or Education Coordinator to obtain the necessary materials to conduct this activity. No charge.

Teacher In-service Sessions

In-service sessions are conducted on a regular basis and can be initiated by the school district. Workshops on various topics run from one to three hours to whole day sessions and are held at the participants' convenience (after school, on weekends or on professional development days). Contact your Community Advisor or Education Coordinator to see what in-service sessions are available in your community. No charge.

The Streamkeepers Handbook: A Practical Guide to Stream and Wetland Care

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This guide is designed for use by volunteers (individuals, groups and schools) committed to protect, restore and monitor Stream corridors in the Province of British Columbia.

British Columbia's streams, lakes and wetlands are valuable natural resources. Stream corridors are particularly important. They support more species of plants and animals than any other habitats and provide important refuges and migration routes for birds and wildlife. Streams also are essential for maintaining British Columbia's renowned salmon and trout runs.
Streams respond rapidly to the pressures of residential and industrial activity in surrounding drainage areas or watersheds. Streams are good indicators of watershed health.

In British Columbia we all live within a watershed, be it coastal rain forest or interior dry land. We all share the responsibility of maintaining the quality of natural resources within them.

This guide aims to:

• Introduce volunteers to the Streamkeepers program and provide information on how to get involved
• Provide a summary of available projects
• Provide basic information on watersheds, the water cycle and stream ecology
• Introduce the agencies responsible for managing various watershed resources
• Provide references, resources, glossaries and useful tips for keeping streams clean
• Inform through a series of training modules aimed at encouraging 'hands on' environmental activities which outline various aspects of Stream corridor stewardship