My inquisitive students come alive when I teach them about the natural world around them. The salmon in the classroom program brings one of our treasured local species right into the classroom for them to study and appreciate.
I teach in the Pacific Northwest where we are lucky to be surrounded by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, magnificent rivers, and healthy forests.
Surprisingly, many of my students have never had the opportunity to walk along the beach or enjoy the natural beauty of our rivers. Our school is rural and located in a small town where many students' families are struggling to make ends meet.
My Project
The salmon in the classroom program allows students to raise salmon from the egg to fry stage. Once big enough, students release the fry back into the local rivers.
This is an amazing opportunity for students to learn first hand about the Water Cycle, Watersheds, and Riparian Areas.
Students also learn about Hydrology (Water Dynamics / Water Quantity / Streambed), Water Quality (Nutrients / Water Temperature / Dissolved Oxygen / pH / Sediments), Aquatic Organisms (Food Processing / Salmon Life Cycle / Fish Habitat Needs.)
To ensure survival of the salmon eggs our ten gallon fish tank needs a working water chiller to keep the water clean and at the same temperature as their natural environment. I'm requesting one Active Aqua Water Chiller Cooling System for our salmon project.
The most compelling reason to continue doing this project in my classroom is the valuable hands-on learning experience my students receive. This project exposes students to the realities of keeping our environment clean and healthy. It also presents the possibilities available to them in the area of science as future career choices.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Davids and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
