Native Fish in the Classroom
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Teacher’s Guide & Lesson Plans
All of the lesson plans are available in PDF format. To read these files you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
The Teacher’s Guide & Lesson Plans may be downloaded either as one complete file, or in sections as outlined below.

Native Fish in the Classroom
Teacher’s Guide & Lesson Plans
(complete guide)
Acknowledgements & Introduction | |||
Section 1 : Background Information | |||
Biology of the Paddlefish, Characteristics, Spawning, Feeding, Range, Habitat, Causes of Population Decline, Caviar Industry, Conservation | |||
Aquatic Invasive Species | |||
Fisheries Management | |||
Roles of Hatcheries | |||
• What is a Hatchery? Why are Hatcheries Important? Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery | |||
Interesting Facts | |||
Section 2 : Aquarium Setup and Maintenance | |||
Equipment for Aquarium Setup and Maintenance, Aquarium Setup, Logbook, Water Quality Monitoring, How to Change the Water, Vacuuming, Incubation Jar Setup, Fry Basket/Nursery Setup, Feeding, How to Use the Automatic Feeder, Daphnia spp. Setup, Problem Solving | |||
Section 3 : Appendices | |||
Appendix I: Lesson Plans | |||
Water Quality | |||
• My Fish Ride a (Nitrogen) Cycle | |||
General Information on Paddlefish | |||
• Snagging Paddlefish Information • Critical Conditions for Paddlefish Spawning • How Old Is that Fish? |
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Effects on Paddlefish Populations | |||
• Extirpated? Don’t You Mean Extinct? • What a Nuisance! • Do Dams Affect the Paddlefish Population? |
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Paddlefish Growth, Development and Behavior | |||
• How Fast Do Paddlefish Grow? • Comparing Eggs and Embryos • Life Cycles of the Wet and Wiggly • Pass the Water Fleas, Please |
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Appendix II : References | |||
Appendix III : Louisiana Learning Standards, Grade Level Expectations Matrix for Lesson Plans and Definitions of Louisiana Learning Standards | |||
Appendix IV : Glossary | |||
Appendix V : Paddlefish Status Chart, Fry Diagram, Aquatic Hours Sheet and Water Quality Monitoring Log (1.05MB PDF) |