Gone Fishing
By Nicole Tafe
Mars Area Middle School students participate in Trout in the Classroom .
T hings are a bit fishy this year at Mars Area Middle School . Through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission , along with assistance from local conservation organizations , Mars Area Middle School has been participating in “ Trout in the Classroom .”
Trout in the Classroom is a coldwater conservation education program that offers students an opportunity to raise brook trout from eggs to fingerlings in a classroom aquarium . “ The program combines various content areas such as ecology , environmental science , chemistry and mathematics , and makes connections to the arts and technology education as well ,” says eighth grade science teacher Amanda Stavish . “ The program is designed to enhance current curriculum and provide real-world applications for the students .”
Mars Area Middle School Technology Education teacher Adam Benson was involved with this program while completing his undergraduate studies at California University of PA and encouraged the middle school ’ s first-year participation . Prior to the start of the project , three middle school teachers attended a Trout in the Classroom Workshop at the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Benner Spring State Fish Hatchery in State College to learn more about how to implement the program at the middle school . “ The conceptual biology students at Mars Area High School have been involved with this program for several years ,” says Stavish . “ We hope our involvement with Trout in the Classroom will act as an introductory program for these students .”
Seventh-graders at Mars Area Middle School are currently studying chemistry and , as part of the project , conduct all of the necessary physical and chemical tests to determine pH levels in addition to nitrate , dissolved oxygen and ammonia levels of the water in a fish tank . They also monitor the room and water temperature .
Eighth-graders are currently learning about biology , including animals , genetics , and ecosystem interactions and participate in the project by studying the life cycle of the trout as they grow from eggs to fry to fingerlings . They are also responsible for sorting the living eggs from the dead eggs , monitoring fish health and mortality , and troubleshooting any
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