How to Bring Salmon Into Your Fall Curriculum
The annual Survive the Sound campaign takes place each Spring, with tens of thousands of salmon enthusiasts joining in to watch their fish complete a dangerous migration. It’s exciting, it’s educational, it’s fun…and then it’s over until next year.
Spring isn’t the only time to care about salmon, however; autumn brings new attention to these fish as they swim back upstream to spawn and complete their life cycles. Students are studying salmon, people are heading to streams and salmon ladders to watch them leap, and communities are hosting salmon festivals. In the Pacific Northwest, salmon are as much of a fall cliché as apples, corn mazes, and pumpkin spice!
To help teachers integrate salmon education into their fall curriculum, we are excited to offer a special autumnal edition of Survive the Sound from October 7 – 11. This event will be a ‘replay’ of the Spring 2024 migration, timed specifically for educators who are currently talking about salmon with their students. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the full life cycle of a salmon, from the dangerous migration out to the ocean to the grueling swim upstream to spawn as adults. We also have numerous lessons and activities available on our Classroom Page, including content about Tribes & Salmon, Becoming a Marine Scientist, and links to countless more resources from our friends and partners.
Finally, we are looking for talented student artists to participate in our Design-a-Fish Contest! For the first time ever, we will turn one piece of student fish art into a brand new character for next year’s migration. Submissions are welcome through mail or email until December 20, 2024. We will then select 16 of our favorite designs and then put them up for a public, bracket-style vote throughout the month of January. At the end, only one fish will remain to be transformed into an o-fish-al Survive the Sound character!
In case you need a refresher on how it all works, check out our new instructional videos that will show you everything you need to know about Survive the Sound:
Whether you missed out on the Spring 2024 migration, are teaching about salmon now, or just want a chance to practice and see how the game works before next year’s event, now is the time to sign up for Survive the Sound: Autumn Adventure. And while you’re at it, be sure to have your students embrace their creativity and submit their own unique ideas for our Design-a-Fish Contest!