The Problem
We would like to raise trout in our classroom, since it is a native species in New York. Raising trout will definitely foster an awareness and responsibility to preserve and conserve wild life in New York. Students in second grade will be learning about the life cycle of fish and how they are able to adapt to their aquatic environment.They will also learn about the importance of maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, so that fish are able to thrive in their natural habitat. Students will develop empathy for living organisms because they will help raise trout in our classroom. So our project will begin by taking a trip to the Visitor Center at Newtown Waste Water Treatment Plant to observe the process of spawning of female trout and male trout. This is a great opportunity to see how the life cycle of trout commences. Once eggs are fertilized we will bring them back to our STEAM lab in a cooler with ice packs and place them in a basket within our 55 gallon aquarium. We will raise them for a few months and release them early spring at the Ward Pound in Ridge Reservation in upstate New York. Our culminating project is the release of trout in their natural habitat. We will also do water quality testing at the watershed in upstate New York.
