Salmon and Aquaculture (Primary)
9-12 years
5h + pre- and post-work
3388
Pupils will learn about the life cycle and behaviour of Atlantic salmon and how the aquaculture industry meets the needs of growing and developing salmon.
The maximum number of pupils per session is 32.
The pupils will gain knowledge of the life cycle of Atlantic salmon – both in the wild and within the aquaculture industry. What are the similarities and differences between wild and farmed fish? How can wild fisheries and aquaculture coexist?
The module lasts 4-5 hours and consists of the following activities:
- Introduction to Newton Room and Aquaculture.
- Migration Game - a group game to review the life cycle and threats to survival of salmon in the wild.
- Recipe for Healthy Salmon – Pupils will work in teams of four as a business, employed in the design and manufacture of salmon food pellets. They will have to weigh up the pros and cons of different ingredients as they decide on a recipe. The groups will then follow their recipe, carefully weighing out each ingredient, before creating and testing their pellets. The activity is rounded off with each group giving a sales pitch.
- Scale Study – Pupils will learn about how to compare the anatomies of two animals, seeing the differences and similarities in form; followed by learning about salmon scales and how they can be used to age an Atlantic salmon. They will then have the opportunity to look at salmon scale impressions through digital microscopes, as well as considering two other sets of organisms – larch trees (European and hybrid) and bivalve shells (hard clam and blue mussel), answering questions and ageing each set.
Curriculum for Excellence links for this module can be found here.
