Following Fishes: An Anadromous Lesson for Secondary Science Students

The mission of the Anadromous Fish Committee of the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (ICAFS) is to advance knowledge and appreciation of Idaho’s anadromous fish resources and aquatic habitats and to promote the use of sound science towards conservation and recovery of the resource for its use and enjoyment by all. Outreach to students can be effective in accomplishing this. “Following Fishes” is a high school science lesson incorporating anadromous fish biology and management technologies used in the Columbia River basin. The lesson uses the publicly accessible Columbia River DART (Data Access in Real Time) and the PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS) databases. Students interpret graphs and extrapolate data to answer questions about fish movement and interactions with Idaho’s water resources. ICAFS and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) funded a pilot project including lesson development and distribution. Twenty-five teachers taught the lesson to over 700 students.  92% said they will use the lesson again, 96% reported that students responded in a positive manner, and 87% agreed that the lesson correlates well to Idaho Content Standards for Biology. The next step is to make “Following Fishes” easily accessible by publishing on the ICAFS and IDFG websites.