Trout in the classroom connects students with their watershed

Students at Shelburne Community School have gained an appreciation for the life cycle of Brook Trout in Vermont. Students have used video to document the changes in from egg to fry. Release day ties in with stewardship of local waterways and what can be done to support the local ecology and habitat for trout.

Trout in the Classroom has helped connect my students to the natural world.  It’s one thing to talk about the life cycle of an animal, but quite another to witness it.  They take to heart the responsibility of caring for these fish and providing for their needs.  And as a bonus, we talk directly about ecosystems and the importance of being good stewards of our natural resources.

Trout in the classroom has enhanced the authenticity of my classroom.  In determining whether or not our river is a good home for brook trout, we are able to see how humans can impact the local environment.  When we release our trout, our stake in the future of our watershed grows.

For our district, the SIC program has been transformative. We use it as a cross-curricular interdisciplinary project for 8th-grade students. Kids become immersed in salmon through math, social studies, language arts and of course science. Every year we find new ways to better adapt the project for student learning.