Activity: Amazing salmon story
Where?
This is an activity for you to lead either on a visit to Northumberland National Park, or in the classroom using the internet.
Who for?
Key stage 2 - England and Wales
Primary age 4-7 - Scotland
Who by?
This activity is for you to take, using the resources below.
Activity aims:
The resources for this case study can be adapted to suit the age and curriculum needs of each student.
Pupils will learn about the amazing lifecycle of a River Tweed salmon. This activity can be adapted to learning in the classroom or for a visit to any other river where salmon live and breed.
Students will learn about:
- names for salmon in different stages of development (e.g. alevins, fry etc)
- names for male and female salmon
- where and when the salmon breed
- what salmon eat - both in the river and in the sea
- about the amazing journey salmon make, returning from the ocean to the place of their birth to breed
What you will need:
- Paper, pencils, clipboards
- Printouts of the salmon lifecycle diagram - see PDF below
- Printouts of the salmon lifecycle quiz - see PDF below
- This PDF contains all worksheets for the amazing salmon story activity:
amazing_salmon.pdf
For classroom activity:
Investigate the lifecycle of the salmon by using the internet as well as the downloadable resources provided above.
More information on the lifecycle of atlantic salmon:
More activities about the River ecosystem:
A river habitat pack is available to download at:
Curriculum links (England):
Subject area(s): Science (life processes)
1. Pupils should be taught:
- that the life processes common to humans and other animals include nutrition, movement, growth and reproduction
- to make links between life processes in familiar animals and plants and the environments in which they are found
Curriculum Links (Scotland):
Subject area(s): Science (living things and the processes of life)
The processes of life:
Level A:
Give the conditions needed by animals and plants in order to remain healthy
Level B:
Recognise stages in the life cycles of familiar plants and animals
Interaction of living things with their environment:
Level A:
Recognise and name some common plants and animals found in the local environment
Give examples of how to care for living things and the environment
Level B: Give examples of feeding relationships found in the local environment
