For the third year in a row, the Trout in the Classroom Program, sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, has made its way into the 4th grade classrooms at Sagewood Elementary. The program, which is offered for grades 2-12 by the Commission, gives students a chance to explore aquatic ecosystems and use the scientific process as they study their trout habitats and follow the trout life cycle from egg to fish.
As part of the program, Sagewood 4th grade classrooms set up a cold-water aquarium and received rainbow trout eggs to raise. From there, students had the opportunity to care for both the trout and habitat as they fed the hatched eggs and monitored their growth and development through their life cycle. Students also completed water-quality testing regularly as part of their study of the trout habitat. Throughout their lessons, students began to see connections between their trout, the available water resources, and the overall environment they live in and how it can be impacted by outside factors.
According to Mrs. Brewer, “This is an awesome way for students to learn and understand the impact that they have on our environment, as well as experience the life cycle first-hand.”
