Fish and Game WILD About Trout in the Classroom

Something fishy is going on in southeast Idaho this month. Once again, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will be offering WILD About Trout in the Classroom for teachers interested in rearing trout with their students in a classroom aquarium. WILD About Trout in the Classroom will run from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, January 30, and will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, January 31, at Snake River Junior High on Highway 39 near Blackfoot. Trout in the Classroom is for educators who are interested in providing a nose-to-nose experience with trout for their students, and is ideal for classrooms fourth grade and up. The workshop will detail tank set-up and operation, fish biology and ecology, wildlife conservation concepts, and will include a tour of American Falls Hatchery. Plus, workshop participants will receive a full curriculum guide packed with various innovative activities tied to aquatic education. These activities have applications in science, math, art, language, and reading. WILD About Trout in the Classroom is designed for teachers who are participating in the program and those who plan to participate in the near future. Approval from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is required prior to participation in Trout in the Classroom. The registration fee for this workshop is $20. As an option, participants can attend the workshop for college credit at an additional cost. An outside assignment will be required for those who are taking the workshop for credit. "Kids are simply not as connected with the outdoors and with wildlife as much today as they once were," said Jennifer Jackson, regional conservation educator for Fish and Game's southeast region. "Programs like Trout in the Classroom give kids exposure to wildlife in a personal way, and helps them understand what healthy fish habitat is and why it is important." To register for WILD About Trout in the Classroom, please visit Fish and Game's website at fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/education/project_wild or call the Fish and Game office in Pocatello at 208-232-4703.