Trout in the Community We have fry (and resources)!
We have some “fry” in the aquarium! As we wrote about earlier, Angler’s Covey is proud to host the Trout in the Community educational program for the Pikes Peak Chapter of Trout Unlimited. This program allows classroom teachers and homeschool families to study the life cycle, habitat, and behaviors of trout. Whether an avid fly fisher, a future fly fisher, an environmentalist, or a student of biology, students in the Pikes Peak region can take advantagve of these resources for their learning experience.
At the “fry” stage, the small fish have eaten their yolk sac from the alevin stage and now move from the bottom of the river (or our tank) towards the light. The fry begin to feed on tiny insects in the water.
Mortality rates at this highly vulnerable stage are very high. The fry are just a few centimeters long and consume a lot of energy, so they need to find food quickly, and plenty of it. In the wild, they also become territorial and want to be out of sight of other fry, so they need habitat that has plenty of stones and plants to enable them to hide from the neighbors. The transition from living off the yolk to independent feeding is a critical life stage, and the one at which the majority of mortality takes place.
Our Trout in the Community aquarium is located in the front entrance of Angler’s Covey. When you come by, we ask that you honor our COVID-19 protocols: wear a mask, do your best to socially distance as you observe the aquarium, and be courteous of our customers as they enter and exit the store.
The lesson plans and activity ideas below are all shared by TIC teachers for the benefit of TIC educators everywhere; please feel free to use these ideas in educational settings and modify them to suit your needs. If you would like to publish these plans and activities elsewhere, please credit Trout Unlimited, in addition to any credits noted on each activity plan.
Science (links)
- Trout Food Chain — based on Trout are Made of Trees
- Salmon Bracelet — finding the way around a stream ecosystem
- Scavenger Hunt — looking around the stream
- The Way of a Trout — a conservation classic (movie)
- TIC Hydroponics — understanding the nitrogen cycle
- What Trout Need — components of a healthy habitat
- Dream Stream — a perfect trout stream
- Catch the Critter — a macroinvertebrate game
- Webof Life Game — to see the many connections
- Mock Fly Tying — mimic trout prey
- Match the Hatch — the why of fly fishing
- Bye-Bye Trout Song — a farewell
- Cut it Out — trout habitat study and artwork
- Crayon Mural — reveals the whole ecosystem
- SMART Board Presentation — an intro to trout
- Trout Tag — to explore food web relationships
- EnviroAtlas — see EPA’s mapping resource
- Drawing Water — gravity’s role in water delivery
- Follow the Water — using maps to trace water’s route
- 3-D Topographic Maps — get a bird’s eye view
- Trout Across America — where all the trout live
- Crumpled Paper Watershed — visualize a watershed and land forms
- Rainbow Trout Journal — great booklet by Hope Cahill, NM TIC
- Water Rights — the Prior Appropriation Game
- Concentrations — understanding ppm
- Coldwater Conservation Education Guide — a series of lessons
- Crumpled Watershed w/ Pollution — visualize rainwater and runoff
- When Will they Hatch? — development worksheet from Idaho
- Counting Trout — using proportion to estimate population
- Trout Markings — external features of a trout
- Trout Cookies — edible external anatomy
- Paper Bag Trout — external features focus
- Trout “Guts” Collage — internal anatomy artwork
- Trout Length — one strategy for measuring
- Trout Life Cycle Song — “Once I Was a Baby Trout”
- Trout Dissection — how to go about anatomy and function
- Trout Feeding Behavior — some comparisons
- Water Quality Probes — using Vernier
- Trout Journals — a year long study of trout
- Identify and Photograph Macros — study morphology and learn about macroinvertebrates!
- Macroinvertebrate Collection — seining and kick-netting
- Postcards from the Watershed — observation and sharing
- Nitrogen Cycle Model — students are bacteria!
Social Studies (links)
- Water Rights — the Prior Appropriation Game
- Trout Hatchery Visit — see where your trout come from
- Visit from an Angler — hear stories of fishing, connect with your local TU chapter
- Animals’ Origins — comparing trout to other well-known species
- Trout Across America — all the species in the U.S.
- Drawing Water — collaborative water system building
- Drawing Water — an alternative procedure
- 3-D Topographic Maps — get a bird’s eye view
- Mock Congress — deciding a water issue
- Mock Trial — defending a stream
- Write to a representative — express an opinion
- Clean a Stream — help keep trout habitat pristine with a service project
- Roots & Shoots — four step method to completing a successful
- stewardship project. a Jane Gooddall program
- Love Letters to Trout — expressing appreciation
- Bye-Bye Trout Song — a farewell
- Postcards from the Watershed — observation and sharing
Language Arts
- Love Letters to Trout — expressing appreciation
- Trout Haiku — and other short poems
- Nature Poetry — inspired by the outdoors
- Bye-Bye Trout Song — a farewell
- Trout Life Cycle Song — “Once I Was a Baby Trout”
- Trout Comics — by Sandy Cunnigham, NY TIC
- Trout Across America — report on N. American species
- Postcards from the Watershed — observation and sharing
- Trout Play — write and perform a drama
- Trout Release Scrapbook — photos and captions
- Trout Life Cycle Comic — speech bubbles to fill in
- Expanding Imaginations — writing from perspectives (trout, macroinvertebrate, water)
- Read Trout Stories — choose from the TU library
- TIC Documentaries — a creative account of your year
- Journal Prompts — by Sandy Cunnigham, NY TIC
- Trout Release Worksheet — one way to record
- Trout Journals — a yearlong study of trout
- Journal page — one option from Todd Burleson in IL
- What are you looking forward to about having trout?
- What would you like to do with the trout?
- What do the trout eggs look like? Be very descriptive. What do you see inside?
- What would you like to say to the trout, to welcome them to our classroom?
- What was hatching like? How did you feel?
- Observe one fish closely for one minute. Follow it with your eyes. What does it do?
- How do the trout act in the morning? The afternoon?
- How do the trout act when it’s dark? Light?
- How do the trout act before feeding? After?
- How do the trout act in the cold/warm weather? What is your favorite trout job? Why?
- What is your least favorite trout job? Why?
- What happens when we feed the trout? Why do you think that is?
- Are there any special trout in your tank? Why are they special?
- What do you think the trout see when they look out of the tank? What are they thinking?
- How have the trout changed over the past few months? What is the same?
- How do you feel about our upcoming release of trout? Why?
- What advice would you give our trout on their way to their new home?
- What did you see while releasing our trout? How did they behave?
- How did you feel about releasing our trout? Why?
- What was the most important thing you learned from raising trout?
Mathematics
- Teaching Volume — by Sandy Cunnigham (.pptx), NY TIC
- 3-D Topographic Maps — get a bird’s eye view
- Water Quality Probes — using Vernier
- Concentrations — understanding ppm
- Trout Length — one strategy for measuring
- Water Quality Graph — plotted by tie or population
- Stream flow — velocity and volume
- Counting Trout — using proportion to estimate population
Fine Arts
- TIC Documentaries — a creative account of your year
- Love Letters to Trout — expressing appreciation
- Trout Poetry — haiku and other forms
- Nature Poetry — inspired by the outdoors
- Songwriting — rewrite lyrics to a favorite song
- Bye-Bye Trout Song — a farewell
- Trout Life Cycle Song — “Once I Was a Baby Trout”
- Singing “Happy Free Day” — to the tune of “Happy Birthday”
- Expanding Imagination — writing from other perspectives (trout, macroinvertebrate, water droplet, stream)
- River Habitat Collage — “Trout Neighbors” collage for pre-K through 3
- Trout Comics — by Sandy Cunningham, NY TIC
- Trout Food Chain — based on Trout are Made of Trees
- Cut it Out — trout habitat study and watercolor
- Wooden Silhouettes — large, decorated trout!
- Journal Page — one option from Todd Burleson in IL
- Shades of Green — observation, from C&NN
- Crayon Mural — watercolor reveals the whole ecosystem
- Love Letters to Trout — expressing appreciation
- Paper Bag Trout — external features focus
- Drawing Water — collaborative water system building
- Drawing Water — an alternative procedure
- Trout Markings — watercolor work
- Trout Coloring Book — trout and human impact themed
- Sketch Trout — from your tank
- Sketch a Stream — on a field day
- Mock Fly Tying — mimic trout prey
- Dream Stream — a perfect trout stream
- Trout Habitat Mural — paint one at your school
- Trout “Guts” Collage — internal anatomy artwork
- Trout Cookies — external anatomy you can eat
- Trout Fashion Show — design for everyone
- Postcards from the Watershed — observation and sharing
- Trout Release Scrapbook — photos and captions
- Trout Cards — for Mother’s and Father’s days
- Make Trout T-shirts — to wear in the field
- Tabletop Museum Book — PowerPoint showing how to make a museum book that can have themes focusing on watersheds, trout, or stream ecosystem theme
- Make a Rainstorm — the more, the merrier!
- Trout Play — write and perform a drama
Physical Education
- Match the Hatch — the whys of fly fishing
- Go fly fishing — partner with your local TU chapter
- Casting Lessons — partner with your local TU chapter
- Mock Fly Tying — mimic trout prey
- FISHO — bingo about fishing!
- Hiking – hike along a stream to examine trout habitat
- Trout Tag — to explore food web relationships
Field Day Ideas
- Tips — good things to remember
- Three Station Rotation — one idea for your day
- EPA Streamwalk — in the field stream assessment with instructions from the EPA
- Macroinvertebrate Sampling and Water Quality Assessment Wksht
- Macroinvertebrate Key
- How to make and use seine for sampling
- Local Hatchery Visit – Contact CTU for information
Technology & Engineering
- EnviroAtlas — see EPA’s mapping resource
- SeaPerch — learn how to make AUV (autonomous underwater vehicles) and use these robot to explore the underwater world
Colorado Lesson Plans
These lesson plans were created by volunteers, teachers, and coordinators who participate in TIC in Colorado
Estes Park Elementary – 3rd Grade – Created by Joe Bottoms
Link to lesson plans