Fish in the Classroom

Overview

Fish in the Classroom is an interactive way for schools to learn about rivers and river wildlife, and brown trout in particular. The project runs yearly from January to March when the Trust engages with schools across the Forth to provide an interactive learning experience. 

Fish in the Classroom consists of the Trust carrying out an interactive presentation to the class introducing them to rivers, the issues they face and the wildlife that use them. During the presentation, staff will introduce the children to the brown trout providing information on the lifecycle of a brown trout. 

As well as the presentation, the class will receive a fish tank and brown trout eggs. The class will then get to watch the progress of the brown trout as it develops from an egg to a fry (baby fish). As the brown trout develops, the children will need to fill out the workbook provided tracking their progress to determine when they need to be released. The class will also need to keep the tank temperature cold by placing frozen water bottles into the tank. 

Once the eggs have turned into fish and hatched, the Trust will return and accompany the class to their local river where the fish will be released. Whilst at the river, invertebrate kick samples are carried out to identify the range of invertebrates present, providing an outdoor learning experience for the pupils.

Information for teachers

If you are a teacher at a school in the Forth District, and would like the Trust to run Fish in the Classroom at your school, please email hello@forthriverstrust.org to find out more information and register interest.