Salmon Unit

Targeted for 3rd Grade

By: Heather Shelton

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Abstract
Salmon is a common sight in and known for being found in Alaska. During this unit, we will learn
about the life cycle, how the environment can affect the cycle, the cultural importance to the Alaska Native
People, and how salmon affects the lives of the modern, everyday Alaskan. There will also be a review of
how to research and present information in a clear and engaging fashion. To close, there will be an
individual and group project that will demonstrate and show the learning that took place.

Unit Overview and Lesson Plans

Student Name: Heather Shelton Intended Grade Level of Unit: 3rd Grade

Theme of Unit: Salmon Life Cycle Content Areas: Science, Reading, Writing, Art
Classroom Demographics: Title 1 school with a class of 24 culturally diverse, English speaking students. 75% of
the class is male and there are 4 ELL students (3 male, 1 female) who receive additional support services.

Alaska Content Standards (from a minimum of 3 different content areas):

Science Standard: 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all
have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Geography Standard E5: Analyze the consequences of human modification of the environment and evaluate the
changing landscape.
English/Language Arts-Speaking and Listening Standard 4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Writing Standards-Text Types and Purposes 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include labeled or captioned visuals when useful to
aiding comprehension
Economics-A student should understand the impact of economic choices and participate effectively in the local,
state, national, and global economies. (From Government and Citizenship Standard G)
Transfer Goal(s) - Unpacked Standards (for each of the content areas):
Science-Students will be able to identify and explain the life cycle of salmon.
Geography-Students will be able to identify significant environmental changes to salmon migration patterns.
English/Language Arts-Students will show understanding of the salmon life cycle by giving an oral presentation to
a small group of students from another class.
Writing-Students will write a short, clear description of each life cycle stage.
Cultural-Students will identify uses of salmon for Alaska Native Peoples and the everyday Alaskan.
Alaska Cultural Standard(s) for Educators to be met in this Unit:
B. Culturally-responsive educators use the local environment and community resources on a regular basis to link
what they are teaching to the everyday lives of the students.
3. Provide integrated learning activities organized around themes of local significance and across subject areas
D. Culturally-responsive educators work closely with parents to achieve a high level of complementary educational
expectations between home and school.
3. Seek to continually learn about and build upon the cultural knowledge that students bring with them from
their homes and community.

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BIG IDEA(s) of the Unit (may expand to include more than 1):
The salmon life can slightly vary depending upon species, geographical location, and environmental factors.
Salmon has an impact for the Native peoples of Alaska and other Alaskans, both historically and currently.

STAGE 1 – Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (Bank of EUs and EQs for Unit for each content
area)
Enduring Understanding(s) Essential Questions to be Considered:
Students will understand that…. Is there something that we as humans can do to help
Students will understand that the salmon life cycle has 6 protect salmon and the migration pattern?
stages with variations depending upon species. What are some differences and similarities of the life
Students will understand that the environment a salmon cycle in nature versus a fish hatchery?
lives in can have an effect on the life cycle. Why is it important to know different ways to share our
Students will understand that seasonal changes can have an knowledge with others?
effect on different stages of the life cycle. How has the importance of salmon changed over time
Significant environmental changes can negatively affect for Alaska Native people?
the natural migration pattern. What impact does salmon have on the many people of
Environmental changes can come from animals, Alaska today?
weather, and humans.
Orally sharing their knowledge with others helps
strengthen their own knowledge.
Knowledge of a topic can be presented in written or
typed format.
Salmon have an importance for Alaska Native Peoples
historically and currently.
The impact that salmon have on modern day Alaskans in
everyday life.

STAGE ONE: (Bank of Objectives for Unit)
Objectives/Learning Targets:
Knowledge and Skills: K & S
___________________________
(Objective bank here)
K-There are six stages of the salmon life cycle.
S-Identify and summarize each stage of the
life cycle when presenting a life cycle diagram.
K-Environmental effects on the different stages of
the life cycle.
S- Select a geographical location to research
and identify the effects that people, animals,
and weather have on the salmon life cycle.
K-Landscape changes can be from humans,
animals, or weather changes that alter the
environment.
S-Identify a change made by humans in the
environment.
S-Identify an animal change to the
environment.
S-Compare and contrast intensity of
environmental changes.
STAGE TWO: (Bank of Assessments for Unit)
Assessments Sources of Evidence of Learning
____________________________
(Assessment bank here)
-Students will create an individual mind map/web of
what they know about salmon. Knowledge will then
be shared as a whole class to create a large map/web
to have in the classroom. (Formative/Performance)
-As a knowledge check students will draw and label a
diagram of the salmon life cycle.
(Summative/Performance)
-Students will choose and research a certain
geographical location to see how the salmon life
cycle may be affected or modified. They will then
write a short paper about their findings.
(Summative/Performance)
-After learning about how to give a presentation,
students will write and present about one part of the
salmon life cycle to a small group.

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K-How to be an active participant and listener -Students will paraphrase information learned from
during an oral presentation. oral presentation to show understanding of each
S-Display active listening skills (eye contact, stage of the life cycle by writing a short summary of
nodding) each stage.
S-Show understanding of presentation by
paraphrasing or asking a question relating to -Students will write a short summary about the
the presentation. entire life cycle using academic terminology and
K-How to include and show evidence in a written information learned during group discussions and
format about the life cycle. oral presentations.
S-Write about a short description about the
life cycle using vocabulary terms and -For each group of Native Peoples, sort and organize
information learned about cycle stages. importance and uses of salmon-possibly play a Bingo
K-Salmon has different meaning, impact, and style game.
importance for each of the Alaska Native Peoples.
S-Identify how different groups of Native
Peoples utilize and honor salmon.
K-Salmon has an impact on the lives of everyday
Alaskans.
S-Analyze and identify the different ways that
people are impacted by salmon in daily life.

STAGE TWO: Culminating Performance Task

Culminating Performance Task –

Individual Task-Now that you have learned a variety of things about salmon, you are going to do some research of
your own. You will be selecting a question that you had during this learning experience and finding an answer. You
will need to write out your question, do some research, write out your answer, and then present it to the class. The
paper you turn in will need to be neatly written, with the question and answer clearly outlined, and resources that
support your answer. Along with presenting to the class, your paper will be part of the class bulletin board display.
Group task-You have just finished learning about the salmon life cycle. To show your understanding of how the life
cycle works, you are going to help create a bulletin board that will display the environment for a wild salmon as it
goes through each stage of the life cycle. You will need to work together with your classmates to ensure that each
stage has a written description that is clear and easy to understand that has been typed or if the handwriting is
legible, and that the artwork clearly depicts and matches the written description of each stage. The descriptions
and artwork will be displayed on the bulletin board for other students, adults, and even your parents to see what
was learned, questions you had, and the answers that you found. You will be displaying research on a question you
had while learning and the answer that was found.

STAGE THREE: Learning for Understanding/ Instructional Activities

Pre-Requisites for the entire unit: What are the prior knowledge and skills students have to have in place before
starting this Unit of Study?
How to identify key points in articles, stories, magazines, etc. and use them to support a topic sentence.
Types of salmon in Alaska and some knowledge of where they come from

Unit Overview/Introduction/Main Hook (Make a connection with students’ backgrounds using an authentic
situation

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Students know a little bit about salmon due to fishing, living in a village, or prior attendance at the Native Charter
school. They are also aware that salmon is one of the main fish in Alaska. One of the main connections will be that
salmon can be found in a variety of places today and is easy to access versus in the past. Students will learn how the
Dena'ina people value and would access salmon due to living in the traditional Dena’ina territory of Alaska.
Connections will also be made for those students who are part of a different tribe or lived/are from a different
traditional territory.

Action/ Mini-hook for each Process: Specific strategies

Lesson lesson: Teacher does/ Student Does to accommodate specific
connection to prior Product: student variability/
learning/knowledge Assessment/ Evidence of Learning accommodate all learners
Lesson closure

Materials for lesson #1: Life cycle graphic organizers (one is cut/paste, the other is label), Salmon Book, Life cycle
Illustration book, Fish Hatcheries handout

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson #1:

Is there something that we as humans can do to help protect salmon and the migration pattern?
What are some differences and similarities of the life cycle in nature versus a fish hatchery?

Standards/Content areas covered in lesson #1:

Science Standard: 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all
have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Geography Standard E5: Analyze the consequences of human modification of the environment and evaluate the
changing landscape.
Lesson 1 Pass out life cycle -Students will assist in passing out a -Some of the life cycle matching
Salmon matching organizer. “Salmon Book” that students will use organizers will be pre-cut to help
Life Cycle Students will cut and for the entire unit. those who tend to need more
paste the order they -Have students look at the book and time.
believe the life cycle to be. mark pages that they are interested in -Have students highlight
or may have questions about. vocabulary words, and key points
-Power point with real photos of to reference in a later lesson in
salmon life cycle when talking about salmon book
stages. -A few of the “Illustrations” books
-Students will follow along in their will be premade for those
“Illustrations” book and draw pictures students who are a bit more
after reviewing each stage meticulous in their work and take
-Discuss how the life cycle works in more time to complete certain
nature and show a diagram and then activities
review how the hatchery affects the
cycle. Students will read parts of the
hatchery handout aloud.
-Compare/contrast how the two
environments are similar and different.
Students will help out by writing things
down on strips of paper to stick on
venn diagram visual.

Final assessment

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 -Students will fill out graphic
organizers with life cycle stages and
one fact they found interesting for each
stage
Materials for lesson #2: Pictures of salmon, large sheets of paper, markers, worksheet activity, salmon book from
lesson 1

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson #2:

What are the different ways to notice if a change in the environment is from a human or animal?
Is there something that we as humans can do to help protect salmon and the migration pattern?

Content areas covered in lesson (from standards) #2:

Geography Standard E5: Analyze the consequences of human modification of the environment and evaluate the
changing landscape.
Lesson 2 Place types of salmon on -Tell students that we are going to talk -Have at least one or two markers
Habitats the floor. Show pictures of about how different animals in nature available at each sheet of paper in
and each type of salmon and are predators to the salmon and can case students need a new color or
Types of have students go to the change the environment. forgot their marker
Salmon name of which they think -Start by asking students who, besides -Visuals of animals and
the salmon is. humans, are predators for salmon. Talk environment to have up as a
Next review differences about where in the life cycle predators display for students to have a
and similarities for mainly affect salmon and discuss how realistic visual
habitats. salmon themselves are predators and -Have partner groups set up
what they are predators to. ahead of time to allow each
-After discussing predators, in three student to be successful in
different areas, large sheets of paper completing partner tasks
will be hanging labeled “Human”,
“Animal”, and “Weather”. Students will
use one color to write ideas of changes
that can be made and are noticeable.
-Discuss each area and expand
knowledge of noticeable and smaller
changes that have an impact over time.
-Hand out predator cut/paste activity
for students to complete with a partner
after discussion. Once the worksheet is
complete, students will move onto the
next activity of adding new knowledge
to the environmental papers hanging
around the classroom.
-Mention how salmon can be a
“renewable resource” due to life cycle
when they come back
-In Salmon book, students will color,
cute, and glue type of salmon next to
name
-Word search to help review
vocabulary words and introduce new
words

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Materials for lesson #3: Lined paper, computers, 4 cards for each stage, variety of books from library for students to
use as references

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson #3:

Why is it important to know different ways to share our knowledge with others?

Content areas covered in lesson (from standards) #3:

English/Language Arts-Speaking and Listening Standard 4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Writing Standards-Text Types and Purposes 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include labeled or captioned visuals when useful to
aiding comprehension
Lesson 3 Video about salmon life -Teach how to take information from -YouTube video of how to do
How to cycle to review. different sources (handout, book, research
Present Example of a life cycle internet) can be compiled together into -Have a written list of steps to
Informati stage written out with a written format. display as a visual reminder
on resources to introduce -Review what a topic sentence and when students are doing research
lesson supporting sentence is. Talk about how -Variety of resources, ie books,
a paragraph needs a topic sentence and my handouts/notes, computer to
supporting sentences. do research
-Hand out life cycle stage pages to -Assigning a life stage that will
assign students which stage they will allow ELL and those more
write about with three spots for methodical students to feel
students to write key points. successful in doing their
-After writing their paragraph, students presentation
will go into 4 groups with one person -Groups based off seating groups
for each stage and then share with each to help build group dynamics and
other before presenting to another relationships
small group of students from other -Variety of books on salmon,
class poems, tales, non-fiction facts,
subsistence, commercial fishing.
Materials for lesson #4: Papers placed around the room, folktale/traditional story to read aloud, pictures of places in
the community impacted by salmon, video or pictures depicting harvesting techniques and subsistence usage

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson #4:

How has the importance of salmon changed over time for Alaska Native people?
What impact does salmon have on the many people of Alaska today?

Content areas covered in lesson (from standards) #4:

Cultural-Students will identify uses of salmon for Alaska Native Peoples and the everyday Alaskan.
Economics-A student should understand the impact of economic choices and participate effectively in the local,
state, national, and global economies. (From Government and Citizenship Standard G)
Lesson 4 Have a slideshow playing -Talk about the historical significance -Make note of what they think is
Cultural of different artwork and importance of salmon for Native cool and record in a journal or
Importan depictions of salmon from Peoples. Read aloud a folktale/story to other location then share with
ce Alaska Native Peoples show significance. someone.
along with pictures of -Ask students how salmon can impact -Can then have them be in teams
how to harvest salmon. the everyday Alaskans' lives. Students if they have similar interests and
will move around the classroom then do a poster or final

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 independently to record their ideas presentation style something to
before talking about it as a group. present to the entire class or
-Review how salmon has an impact on maybe even have it on bulletin
the economy for Native Peoples today board.
and the everyday Alaskan, ie
restaurants, stores, tourists, fishing
-Have a discussion about the many
different ways salmon can be harvested
and used for substance living
Materials for lesson #5: Computers, variety of books and magazines from library and other resources for students to
use as references

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson #5:

Why is it important to know different ways to share our knowledge with others?

Content areas covered in lesson (from standards) #5:

English/Language Arts-Speaking and Listening Standard 4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Writing Standards-Text Types and Purposes 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include labeled or captioned visuals when useful to
aiding comprehension
Lesson 5 Have a list of questions -Students will select a question that -Students can work in pairs if
Research up on the board. Explain arose that they do not have an answer they have similar questions
Your to students that they are for. They will be able to research using -If desired, students can create
Question questions I had when their computer, books, magazines, and hands-on art with a written and
*This planning lessons or that I other in class materials relating to oral presentation
will take thought of as I learned salmon as resources. -Students struggling to pick a
two more about salmon. Ask -Review how to collect, organize, and question can choose an area they
days* students to think about map out information relating to a find interesting and compile
questions they now have question or topic. There will be a information they find interesting
after learning. Give them variety of graphic organizers for
a few minutes to think, students to use if needed. Rubric is
relook at things, and attached
write them down. -Students will be able to use Google
Slides or Google Docs to organize their
information for their presentation.
-Presentations will be done in class, to
their classmates and then students can
print and display their Google Slide or
Doc on the bulletin board.
Materials for lesson #6: Salmon book, computers, craft materials-colored pencils/markers/crayons, scissors, glue,
construction paper, tape, stapler, paint, brushes, life cycle papers from lesson 3 for reference

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson #6:

Why is it important to know different ways to share our knowledge with others?
What are some differences and similarities of the life cycle in nature versus a fish hatchery?

Content areas covered in lesson (from standards) #6:

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Science Standard: 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all
have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
English/Language Arts-Speaking and Listening Standard 4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Writing Standards-Text Types and Purposes 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include labeled or captioned visuals when useful to
aiding comprehension
Lesson 6 Review parts of each -After doing an overall review of -Limit number of students in each
Unit lesson, ie life cycle stages, lessons, explain to students that they group for life cycle stage to 4 to
Closure environments, cultural are going to help plan out and then allow for active participation
Work impact, community start working on the bulletin board from all students
impact outside the classroom.
-Have kids out in the hallway to help -Done over a week to allow for
sketch out ideas of showing life cycle students to have ample time to
movement and how they want to work on artwork, papers, and
display each stage then bring students create an engaging bulletin board.
back into classroom to start working on
different areas in groups
-As students complete parts of the
display, have them go out to figure out
how to attach to the board and figure
out what else may be needed for their
specific stage.
-Papers from presentations in Lesson 3
can be referenced when combining
information to explain, in writing, each
stage. Students who wrote the paper
will work together to write one page to
post on board. Some students will work
on a comparison of how the life cycle
works in the fish hatchery.

UNIT REFLECTION Cultural Capital: Discuss how this Unit increases your students’ access to “Cultural
Capital.”
This unit increases cultural capital because the students are learning about something that has an impact
on their daily life, even if they are unaware of it. Salmon has become, and has been, an important part of
Alaskan life and culture. Students will learn about the cultural importance and reliance upon this fish by
the different Native Peoples around the state in both the past and the present. By teaching students how
modern Alaskans utilize and rely on this fish will help them to realize that the importance of the fish has
changed over time and potentially will cause them to think about this can also happen with other things in
their life and community. Learning about the cultural importance of this fish will help the students to have
a better understanding and appreciation for one of Alaska’s natural resources that has a huge impact on
their community and state.

Attachments: Graphic Organizers, Quizzes, Worksheets, Assessment Rubrics etc. for each Lesson. (You can
embed them as screenshots)
Note: If there are more than 3 Graphic Organizers with your curriculum, please provide a screenshot of them take
up less space making sure, of course, that they are legible and that the page layout looks professional.
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 Appendix

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE TASK RUBRIC

A. Student Culminating Performance Task Prompt (Student Version)

Individual Task-Now that you have learned a variety of things about salmon, you are going to do some research of
your own. You will be selecting a question that you had during this learning experience and finding an answer. You
will need to write out your question, do some research, write out your answer, and then present it to the class. The
paper you turn in will need to be neatly written, with the question and answer clearly outlined, and resources that
support your answer. Along with presenting to the class, your paper will be part of the class bulletin board display.

B. Success Criteria to be met:

● Research question connects to an area of the life cycle stage
● Cohesive flow that can be easy followed and understood simply by looking at the display
● Answer to question contains information from resources
● Written presentation contains correct spelling, punctuation, proper sentence structure, and resources are
listed

C. Rubric
Title of CPT Rubric__Student Research Question________

Level of proficiency 4- 3- 2- 1-
Category/Descriptor
Research question Question is well Question is Question Question is
thought out, clear, mostly thought makes little unclear, no
easy to out, makes sense, barely connection to
understand and sense and connects to a life cycle stage
connects to one of mostly life cycle stage at all
the life cycle connects to a
stages life cycle stage
Resources 2 resources that 1 resources is No resource No resource,
show knowledge used that used, knowledge of
and supports knowledge of life cycle
understanding of knowledge of life cycle is missing
one of the life life cycle unclear
cycle stages
Grammar and Spelling Writing is neat, Writing is Writing is Writing is not
legible, and easy mostly legible barely legible legible and
to read. No and mostly and hard to unreadable. 6
spelling or easy to read. read. 4-6 or more
grammatical 2-4 spelling or spelling or spelling and
errors grammatical grammatical grammatical
errors errors errors

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Organization of presentation Presentation is Presentation is Presentation is Presentation
neat, easy to mostly neat, unfinished, was not
understand, and can be mostly barely able to completed,
flows in a logical understood, understand, unable to
order and the flow and flow understand
mostly makes makes no and has no
sense sense flow
Contribution to class bulletin board Active group Assisted group Barely helped Did not
participant and as needed, out group, participate in
completed their mostly finished their portion group, did not
portion in a neat, their portion was barely complete their
clean, and completed portion at all
responsible
manner

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