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
(2020 updated edition)

• 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?
    • Effects on Paddlefish Populations
      • Extirpated? Don’t You Mean Extinct?
      • What a Nuisance!
      • Do Dams Affect the Paddlefish Population?
    • 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
  • 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