Salmon Life Cycle
Overview & objectives:
WHEREClassroom
WHOTeacher, 7/8th grade helpers, parents
MATERIALSBeads of different colors for the life cycle: We used salmon, yellow, green, iridescent, blue and silver or gray. Pipe cleaners for making the life cycle bracelets. Tagboard cutouts of salmon. Starch and tissue paper (green, red, grey, black) cut into 1 in squares. Paint brushes, bowls for starch, trays for “painting” starch on salmon.
Google Docs: Salmon Life Cycle Photos
ACTIVITIESSlide Show: Prepared and presented by 7/8th grade helpers:
Google Docs: Slide Show

Go through salmon life cycle. Explain that salmon hatch in rivers as eggs, grow to alevin, then become fry, then parr, then smolt then they migrate to the ocean and are adult salmon.

Pass out life cycle bracelet materials. As you go through the life cycle again, have students add a bead for each color:
Eggs - salmon
Alevin - Yellow
Fry - Green
Parr - Iridescent
Smolt - Blue
Adult - Silver

After the bracelet is complete, have the students tie the pipe cleaner ends together and introduce the idea of the cycle. Teach the students that when the adult salmon return to spawn, they move from salt back to fresh water to lay eggs. They are called anadromous fish.

Pass out trays with tag board fish, starch and tissue paper. Have students attach the tissue to the fish and paint with starch.

As students finish have them look through books about fish.
Differentiation: how will you provide support for different learning abilities? For a complete list click here
Directions given in multiple ways (visual, auditory)
Give a list of information instead of relying on memory or note taking
Provide a summary of information or story
List of vocabulary words given
Use visuals/diagrams liberally
Use graphic organizers
Other: _________________________________________
Number and sequence steps and directions
Allow movement space
Give think time before asking for responses to a question
Check in for understanding of directions
Clear indication of expectations for behavior or work both written and given orally
Break tasks into chunks
Buddy system
NGSS Alignment
Full, more detailed outline of standards & progressions → NGSS Progressions
Earth Science
ESS2.C The roles of water in Earth’s surface processes
ESS2.E Biogeology
ESS3.A Natural resources
ESS3.C Human impacts on Earth systems
Life Science
LS1.A Structure and function
LS1.B Growth and development of organisms
LS3.A-Inheritance of Traits
LS3.B - Variation of Traits
LS4.A - Evidence of common ancestry
LS4.C Adaptation
Notes, Photos & other resources:
Photos below