Trout in school.

Classroom aquaria most often contain pet fish, but classrooms from Maine to California at all grade levels are raising trout to make a real life connection to ecological curricula and a local environmental impact. Students raise the trout (or salmon depending oil the school's location), from eggs to alevin to fry to fingerlings in their classroom. Through grants, gifts from parents and school groups, local wildlife or state departments of environmental protection and Trout Unlimited organizations, the $1000 set up is usually covered. These partnerships make finding a place to put the tank more of a problem than the cost. The great thing is that once a school has the equipment it can be reused for future classes.

Jerry Rickart, a Trout in the Classroom Northeast regional coordinator, oversees twenty school trout tank projects and says supplies include the tank (usually 55 gallons), chiller (the most expensive item), sterilizer, filter, pump, aerator, and of course, trout eggs, which are usually supplied by the state or local environmental organization.

While the project differs slightly depending oil the state, or the sponsoring agency, the outcome is always more than science and lab notebooks. Students learn ecology and a respect for life, with curriculum connections in math, language arts, and even art and music. Some students have sung trout release songs, or recited poems while emptying a fondly named fingerling from a plastic cup into its new river home.

Rivers, like the Pootatuck in Newtown, Connecticut, have been sites of ecological study and clean up. Students, through the Trout in the Classroom project, play a part in actually replenishing these resources. That makes classroom science more concrete.

Dr. Anthony Salvatore, assistant principal at the Reed Intermediate School in Newtown, Connecticut, says it's a perfect connection for their sixth grade Water and Weather, Population and Ecosystems, and Science and Technology units. He adds, "Teachers and students think it's a great idea and it's thrilling to watch them grow".

At release time, students and trout take a field trip to a designated river or lake, where students splash and fish swim free.

www.tu.org