Activity 2: The Incredible Journey

Transcription

1 Activity 2: The Incredible Jurney Overview Backgrund Infrmatin Objectives Time Materials Advance Preparatin Setting the Stage Cnducting the Activity Wrap-Up Enrichment Salmn swimming up a waterfall. Pht frm U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Overview In this activity, participants act ut the salmn and steelhead jurney frm spawning grund, t the pen cean, and then back t spawning grund. In ding s, they begin t understand the unique characteristics f salmn and steelhead. Backgrund Infrmatin This activity intrduces participants t the interesting life cycle f salmn and steelhead by acting ut a simplified versin f it. Salmn face many challenges thrughut their life cycle, including silt smthering the eggs, predatrs, pllutin, disease, xygen-pr water, high water temperatures, lack f fd, and barriers such as dams and culverts. Only ne r tw salmn r steelhead frm an egg nest (1/10 f 1%) make it back t their hme streams t spawn. Fr mre infrmatin abut the salmn and steelhead life cycle, see Backgrund Infrmatin in the Unit Overview and Life Cycle and Migratin under Resurces: Infrmatin Abut Salmn and Steelhead. Objectives Participants will: (1) simulate the salmn and steelhead jurney frm spawning grund t the cean and back, and (2) identify bstacles these fish face at different parts f the jurney. Time One grup sessin Materials Large playing area (at least 50 feet x 100 feet) One lng jump rpe and tw shrt nes Existing painted lines, rpe, traffic cnes r ther bundary markers Tw cardbard bxes 100 tkens (may be pker chips, index cards, r ther tkens) Whistle (ptinal) KWLR chart (started in Activity 1: Getting t Knw Salmn and Steelhead) AGUA PURA 2006 by the Regents f the University f Califrnia Activity Tw 9

2 Advance Preparatin 1. Set up the bundaries fr the game as shwn in the illustratin belw (this game and the illustratin used belw are based n an activity frm Prject Aquatic WILD, page 71 called "Hks and Ladders"). Abut ne-furth f the playing area will be fr the salmn s dwnstream jurney t the cean. It will include a dam turbine (lng jump rpe) and predatrs. Half f the playing area will be fr the pen cean, and will have tw fishing bats (bxes) with fishers. The remaining ne-furth f the playing area will be fr the salmn s upstream jurney back t the spawning grund. Here salmn will pass thrugh a fish ladder (cruching participants) and jump ver a waterfall (brad jump). 2. The prcedures fr this activity assume a grup size f abut 30 participants. As yu plan fr the activity, add r subtract ne predatr and ne fishing bat t adjust fr a larger r smaller grup. 3. Place the materials fr the activity as shwn: Put the lng jump rpe in the turbine area. Place the tw cardbard bxes in the pen cean area. Scatter half the tkens n each side f the pen cean, just utside the bundary. Psitin the tw shrt jump rpes at the waterfall area. They shuld be far enugh apart t prvide a challenging, but realistic, brad jump. Lifecycle Game Setup AGUA PURA 2006 by the Regents f the University f Califrnia Activity Tw 10

3 Setting the Stage 1. Begin by asking participants, Why have peple celebrated salmn and steelhead thrughut the ages and why d they cntinue t celebrate salmn and steelhead? What makes these fish s special? 2. Ask them, What des the wrd migratin mean? What are sme reasns that peple migrate? Why might salmn and steelhead migrate? 3. Tell participants that t help them understand these questins, they will be acting ut the amazing jurney f the salmn and steelhead migratin frm the spawning grund t the cean and back again, and including sme f the bstacles that salmn and steelhead face alng the way. Cnducting the Activity 1. Take participants t the playing area and explain that mst f them will act as salmn fr the activity. Describe the jurney that these salmn must take: Spawning Grund: All the salmn start in the spawning grund. When yu blw a whistle (r give ther signal), they will start their jurney dwnstream. Dam Turbine: After they begin their jurney, the salmn face their first hazard - a dam turbine represented by tw participants swinging the lng jump rpe. All salmn must g thrugh the turbine. If a salmn is hit by the jump rpe r a turbine peratr s arm, it dies. Dead salmn becme part f the fish ladder (see Fish Ladder). The turbine peratrs may change the speed f the turbine t try t catch salmn. Predatrs: Once they pass the turbines, the salmn must face tw wildlife predatrs (wh may be larger fish, birds, r mammals). These predatrs must use bth hands t catch the salmn. Upn catching a salmn, the predatr must escrt the dead salmn ver t the fish ladder area (see Fish Ladder) befre returning t catch mre. Open Ocean: All salmn that make it past the predatrs reach the pen cean. Here, salmn can be caught by fishers in fishing bats (bxes). The fishers must keep ne ft in their bx, but can slide the bx arund. As with the predatrs, they must catch salmn with bth hands and must escrt any dead salmn t the fish ladder area (see Fish Ladder) befre returning t the cean. Year Tkens: salmn must swim back and frth acrss the cean area and cllect fur tkens t represent fur years f living in the cean. They must crss the entire cean befre they cllect a tken, and they can nly cllect ne tken at a time. AGUA PURA 2006 by the Regents f the University f Califrnia Activity Tw 11

4 Heading Upstream: After safely cllecting fur tkens, salmn may start upstream. Here they encunter the fish ladder. Fish Ladder: The fish ladder is made up f all the participants wh were caught by predatrs r fishers. T make the fish ladder structure, participants cruch n all furs in a rw, with a yard-wide space between them. The salmn heading upstream must step ver each persn in the fish ladder. Predatrs may nt harm the salmn in the fish ladder. Waterfall: After making it thrugh the fish ladder, the salmn must nw jump ver a waterfall. A salmn must successfully brad jump the entire width f the waterfall t cntinue. If a salmn fails, it returns t the bttm f the fish ladder t try again. Predatrs: At the tp f the falls, the salmn must nce again get past sme predatrs (bears r eagles). Predatrs must catch the salmn with bth hands. If a predatr catches a salmn, it must escrt the dead salmn t becme part f the fish ladder. Spawning Grund: A salmn surviving the entire curse reaches the spawning grund and finishes the game. 2. Assign rles t participants: Chse tw participants t be turbine peratrs. After all the salmn have gne thrugh the turbine, these participants mve ver t the waterfall t mnitr the brad jump there. Chse tw participants t be predatrs. They patrl belw the turbines t catch salmn heading dwnstream. When all the salmn reach the cean, these participants mve t the tp f the waterfall t catch salmn befre they enter the spawning grund. Predatrs must catch the salmn by tuching them with bth hands. When they catch a salmn, they must escrt the dead salmn t the fish ladder befre they can catch mre. Chse tw participants t be fishers in fishing bats. The fishers must keep ne ft in their bat (cardbard bx). When they catch a salmn, they must take the dead salmn t the fish ladder. All ther participants are salmn. 3. Have participants g t their starting places. Blw the whistle (r give anther signal) and help the grup as it des the activity. The activity ends when all surviving salmn reach the spawning grund. AGUA PURA 2006 by the Regents f the University f Califrnia Activity Tw 12

5 Wrap-Up 1. After ding the activity, lead participants in a discussin abut it: Hw many salmn did we have at the beginning f the activity? Hw many did we have at the end? D yu think this survival rate is realistic? Why r why nt? Which bstacles were the mst difficult fr the salmn in ur activity? Which caused the mst lsses? Which bstacles d yu think are the mst treacherus fr real salmn? What are sme f the rganisms that depend n salmn r steelhead? (Yu may want t bring up the fd web, which is ne way rganisms depend n each ther fr the transfer f matter.) Steelhead dn t necessarily die after they spawn as salmn d. They ften return t the cean and then cme back t the spawning grund t spawn again. Hw wuld we need t adjust this activity t represent steelhead? What d yu think the results wuld be then? In what ways was this simulatin realistic? In what ways was it unrealistic? What threats and bstacles d salmn and steelhead face in their life cycle that are nt represented here? 2. Have participants lk at the KWLR chart t revisit the questin f hw salmn and steelhead and peple affect each ther in the cmmunity. They may want t adjust any f their ideas and make additins t the K (What We Knw), W (What We Wnder), L (What We Have Learned), and R (Our Resurces) sheets. Enrichment Ask fr participant suggestins fr hw t mdify the game t add ther bstacles r elements. Play the activity again with the mdificatins. Research ways that dams can be designed r mdified t be mre fish-friendly, allwing migrating fish t g dwnstream and upstream safely. AGUA PURA 2006 by the Regents f the University f Califrnia Activity Tw 13