Education Resources

A summary of excellent resources available to support both classroom and community-based education programs in salmon and watersheds.

BC Curriculum Websites

Salmon Education Resources

Salmonids in the Classroom – Primary Handbook, K-Gr. 3 (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
Lesson plans and resources for studying the biology, habitat and stewardship of pacific salmon.  Used in conjuction with DFO’s Salmonids in the Classroom Program in BC elementary schools.  

Salmonids in the Classroom – Intermediate Handbook, Gr. 4-7 (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
Lesson plans and resources for studying the biology, habitat and stewardship of pacific salmon. Used in conjunction with DFO’s Salmonids in the Classroom Program in BC elementary schools.

Science World
Science World shares their education resources for educators and parents, including hands-on activities, videos of live science demonstrations and shows, and other relevant science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational resources and links.  Of particular interest are their lesson plans and activities for salmon lifecycle, salmon survival, and watersheds.

Vancouver Aquarium AquaFacts
Questions and Answers and Facts about salmon as well as many other aquatic species.

Salmon Challenges Online Game (Smithsonian National Museum)
What is it like for salmon to swim to their spawning grounds? Play this educational online game to find out.

Canadian Geographic Kids – Salmon Facts

Salmon School – Wild Salmon Centre – Want to learn more about wild salmon? Check out all our salmon educational materials, including illustrations, coloring book pages, quizzes, fun facts and games.

Alaska Wild Salmon Teacher’s Guide
A great resource for Pacific Salmon information, focusing on the Alaska coast.

Alaska SeaLIfe Center Educational Resources
The Alaska SeaLife Center is the only facility in Alaska that combines a public aquarium with marien research, education and wildlife response.

Exploring the Great Bear Sea (Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary Curriculum Resources.
Excellent resources for teachers to engage students in an inquiry-based, educational journey through the Great Bear Sea exploring a variety of themes such as Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity, Sustainable Resource Management, and Marine Stewardship.  These resources are based on the film, “The Great Bear Sea: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future” by Green Fire Productions.

Wild Kratts 
Wild Kratts joins the adventures of Chris and Martin Kratt as they encounter incredible wild animals, combining science education with fun and adventure as the duo travels to animal habitats around the globe. Each adventure explores an age-appropriate science concept central to an animal’s life and showcases a rarely seen wildlife moment, all wrapped up in engaging stories of adventure, mystery, rescue, and the Kratt brothers’ brand of laugh-out-loud-comedy that kids love.


Salmon Videos

The Great Salmon Run (documentary: 59:17 minutes)
A great nature documentary by BBC Earth looking at the annual return of hundreds of salmon from the Pacific Ocean to the mountain streams where they were born.

Wild Kratts: Hero’s Journey (animated: 45 minutes). 
This is an excellent and enjoyable animated video that illustrates the lifecycle of Pacific Salmon and the challenges that they face.

Magic School Bus Goes Upstream (animated: 22 minutes)
A great animated video that illustrates the lifecycle of salmon and their challenges.

Invisible Migration: Skeena Watershed (animated: 1:13 minutes)
Enjoyable short video that illustrates the journey of salmon fry from their home streams to the Skeena Estuary. Produced by the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition.

Salmon Life Cycle Song (theFrizzlives) 
A parody of ” I will Survive”- this educational video takes an inside look into the lives of salmon- their dangerous journies, emotional struggles , and ironically, their eventual deaths.

Life Cycle of Salmon (documentary: 5 minutes)
This video depicts the salmon’s life cycle with images that reveal the salmon’s world, often from their underwater point of view. Produced by Oregon Sea Grant.

Kids, Creeks and Nature (documentary: 3:34 minutes)
A short video about the importance of engaging children with nature. STudents at a BC elementary school visit a local stream to release the salmon fry that they have been raising in their classroom.

Watershed Education Resources

Project WET
Project WET’s mission is to reach children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education that promotes awareness of water and empowers community action to solve complex water issues. they provide educational materials on water resources, hold training workshops, and organize water festivals and special events.

Pacific Streamkeepers
A BC based organization that provides good training modules and videos on stream habitat surveys and restoration.

Connecting Students with their Watersheds: A Workbook for Community Leaders (Will Husby and Ann Finlayson, Bowen Island Conservancy, 2001). 
An excellent resource for educators

Watershed Stewardship: A Guide for Teachers, Students, and Community Organizations (Dr. Milton McClaren,Kim Fulton, Chris McMahen (1995).
An excellent resource on water stewardship for BC communities)

The Streamkeepers’ Handbook: A Practical Guide to Stream and Wetland Care (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada, BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Fraser River Action Plan.

Skeena River: Fish and Their Habitat (Allen S. Gottesfeld and Ken A. Rabnett).
Not targeted at younger students, but a good resource for older students and educators.

Science World
Educational resources for K-8 students including lesson plans and activities focused on water education.

Watershed Academy Online Training (US EPA)
A great online training program that offers a variety of self-paced training modules on watershed management

BC Curriculum Websites

What is a Watershed? (animated: 1:17 minutes)
A short animated video by the Battle River Watershed group which provides a good and brief overview of a watershed in general terms.

 

Watersheds! (animated: 3:11 minutes)
A short animated video on watersheds by Colorado State University

Nature Based Educational Resources

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF)
HCTF offers and supports education programs, grants, learning resources, and other education initiatives.

 

Earth Rangers 
Earth Rangers is a kids’ conservation organization, committed to instilling environmental knowledge, positivity, and the confidence to take action in every child in Canada. Their website has a variety of programs and activities.