Trout Release at Jerusalem Mill

9:15 – Pack and Bathroom Breaks

9:30 – Leave Lutherville

10:10 – Arrive at Jerusalem Mill

  • Students bring all supplies off of the bus.

10:15 – Meet as Whole Group at picnic tables (see map).

  • Mrs. Austen will introduce the day and give directions about lunches, supplies, rotations, etc.

10:30 – Begin rotations.

11:50 – Break for Lunch

  • Students should remain in their field trip groups and eat in the grassy area near the picnic tables. Please remind chaperones to remain with students. Student should remain seated with their groups for the lunch period.
  • There is hand sanitizer in your group buckets.
  • Please remind students to pack all garbage back in their lunch bags. They will bring the garbage back to school. There are plastic grocery bags in the bucket if students need to place the lunch items in their bag to carry.
  • There are restrooms in the lower level of the Gunpowder Park building. Please have chaperones supervise students in the restrooms.

12:15 – Resume Rotations

2:15 – Meet as Whole Group at picnic tables

2:25 – Board buses

3:00 – Arrive back at Lutherville

ROTATION SCHEDULE:

10:30-11:05 / 11:10-
11:45 / 11:50 / 12:15-12:50 / 12:55-1:30 / 1:35-2:10 / 2:15
Predator Prey Game
(Ms. Kellner) / Group A / Group B / L / Group C / Group D / Group E / Meet back at picnic tables.
Water Testing/Water Quality
(Mrs. Austen) / Group B / Group C / U / Group D / Group E / Group A
Stream Study and Release
(Mrs. Zagurski) / Group C / Group D / N / Group E / Group A / Group B
Nature Writing
(Mrs. Miller) / Group D / Group E / C / Group A / Group B / Group C
Hike
(Mrs. Feltman) / Group E / Group A / H / Group B / Group C / Group D

Nature Writing (Mrs. Miller) – at benches

Objective:

Students will use their observation skills in order to collect sensory details that will be used to plan a narrative of our release.

Teacher Materials:

Chart paper and pen; copy of trout journal prompt

Student Materials:

Journals, pencil

  • Teacher shares the writing prompt:

Imagine that you are one of the trout that was released today. Describe in detail what you experienced during your release. Include many sensory details so that the reader can truly experience what you did.

Extend your journal by addressing the audience and asking them to help keep your habitat healthy. What can humans do to help you survive your journey from a fry to an adult trout?

  • Discuss the 5 senses that can be used to observe (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste). Teacher lists these senses on the chart paper.
  • Have students create a web/list in their journal to record their observations.
  • Teacher models listening carefully and listing the sounds that can be heard. Discuss what the trout may hear underwater.
  • Provide time for students to record their observations individually.
  • Take a gallery walk to share students’ observations. Direct students to leave their journals open on the benches. Students may walk around the benches and read the ideas that others recorded. When students return to their journal, they may add ideas to their lists/webs.
  • If time allows, students may begin drafting their journal and/or create a sketch of their surroundings.

Water Testing/Water Quality (Mrs. Austen) – above the bridge

Objective:

Students will gather data in order to evaluate the stream as a habitat for our trout.

Teacher Materials:

LabQuest ( OR laptop with LabPro program installed

Vernier probes

chart paper for recording dataand pen

chart with student jobs explained (optional) – this could be placed in a

plastic sleeve and given to each team

Student materials:

None

  • Teacher leads discussion of data that has been collected from the trout tank (oxygen levels, pH, ammonia, temperature, salinity). Connect this data to a trout’s habitat needs:
  • Fast-moving water (high oxygen levels)
  • Fresh water
  • Mid-range pH
  • 0 ammonia
  • Cool temperatures (53 degrees)
  • Teacher shares the chart and asks students to predict what the data will be for the stream and to explain why they made their predictions (ex: high levels of oxygen b/c stream has lots of rocks and white water; low salinity b/c we are at a stream that has not yet entered the Bay; etc.)
  • Teacher demonstrates the use of LabQuest and probes. Teacher groups students into groups of 4 and shares jobs:

1 – hold LabQuest3- read data

  • 2 – hold probe in water4- record data on class chart

Nature Hike (Mrs. Feltman)

Objective:

Students will use their observation skills in order to identify changes that humans and that wildlife have made to the environment.

Teacher materials:

None (prior knowledge of trail is helpful so that examples of human-made and natural changes can be pointed out to students).

Student materials:

Labels – human-made change; natural change

Digital cameras

  • Teacher explains to students that they will be looking for signs of humans and signs of nature on their hike. When students identify a change made to the environment, they will use the digital camera to capture the image.
  • Prior to beginning the hike, the teacher should take a picture of the groups so that the photos taken can be matched up to the correct group.
  • During the hike, teacher and students should share their observations.

Predator/Prey Game (Mr. Paul) – in grassy field near parking lot

Objective:

Students will analyze predator-prey relationships in order to describe how limiting factors effect trout populations.

Teacher Materials:

“Quick Frozen Critters”, p 122-124 from ProjectWILD program

Cones or objects to mark playing field

Tokens to serve as food in game (cardboard, pipe cleaners, etc.)

Hula hoops

Flag football belts (enough for every student - 4)

Chart paper and pen (optional)

Student Materials:

None

  • Adapt “Quick Frozen Critters” to represent trout and their predators.
  • Extension –
  • record the number of predator and prey for each round and discuss how the numbers fluctuate depending upon the predator/prey population.
  • Change the habitat (remove hula hoops to represent loss of habitat; make trout walk b/c sediment has filled their stream – warming the water and decreasing oxygen so they cannot move as quickly; etc.)

Stream Study and Trout Release (TIC Reps and Mrs. Kellner)

This station should be down-stream from the water quality station. At Jerusalem Mill, the water quality will take place above the bridge and the release will take place below the bridge.

Objective:

Students will examine stream insects and crustaceans in order to evaluate the health of the stream.

Teacher Materials:

“Water Canaries”, pp 35-39 fromAquatic project WILD

Clipboard and paper for noting trout totals during the release

Macro Invertebrate ID cards, from

Student Materials:

Bug catchers with magnifying tops

Boots

Touch base with Trout Unlimited volunteers prior to the release to discuss what they will share with students. Here is a general overview:

  • Volunteer retrieves several large rocks, shows students the invertebrates (caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies – we hope!), and discusses how these organisms serve as indicators for the stream’s health. The MacroInvertebrate cards have been color-coded to show how the presence of these organisms can indicate the health of a stream. The organisms with a green circle are sensitive and will only survive in a stream that has healthy oxygen levels and water quality. The organisms with a yellow circle are somewhat sensitive. The organisms with a red circle are tolerant and may indicate poor stream quality if they are the only macro inveterbrates present. See the attached page from the US EPA for additional information.
  • With supervision, students may choose another rock to examine.
  • Teacher may wish to use the information and charts in “Water Canaries” to extend this activity.
  • Each trout should be placed in a bug catcher so that students can observe before they release. With supervision, students release each trout, keeping careful record of numbers.

This rotation could also include a fly-fishing demonstration and a discussion of trout anatomy.

Trout Goodbye Sing-along
1. Our eggs arrived / 7. The tank was watched
Four months ago / By the Trout Patrol –
From Washington / A healthy habitat
They seemed to glow / Was their main goal
2. Our tank was filled / 8. On the iLab blog
With fresh water / Words and pictures
53 degrees / Showed the whole school
Was the temperature / How our trout were
3. In a few days / 9. Science lessons helped
The alevin hatched / us learn and see
With two dark eyes / trout’s life cycle
And large yolk sacs / and Trout Are Made of Trees
4. Daily water tests / 10. And now it’s time
Did indicate / To say goodbye
no ammonia / We hope our trout
and a healthy pH / Will eat caddis flies
5. As the alevin grew / 11. Tho’ we’re sad to go
Yolk sacs did shrink / This will not end
We observed gills / We’ll return next year
And veins, we think / With new fishy friends
6. Within a month / 12. Goodbye, goodbye
Despite ice and snow / Goodbye, goodbye
With tender care / Goodbye goodbye
Our trout did grow / Goodbye, goodbye

Resources

Fabulous Fish by Susan Stockdale

Let the River Run Silver Again by Sandy Burk

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout Teri Sloat

Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

Trout, Trout, Trout, a Fish Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Lutherville Laboratory for Science, Mathematics, and Communication D. Austen