Teaching with Trout - fish lessons on the environment for Millis middle schoolers - Milford Daily News

Teaching with Trout - fish lessons on the environment for Millis middle schoolers - Milford Daily News

Teaching with Trout - fish lessons on the environment for Millis middle schoolers - Milford Daily News

Posted: 18 Jan 2020 10:00 AM PST

Seventh-graders in science teacher Deborah Hickey's classroom are raising trout for an eventual spring release in the Charles River through an educational program offered by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

MILLIS – Every school day this winter, Millis Middle School student Ashley Aten ran into Room 228 and headed straight to the fish tank.

Inside were 233 Eastern brook trout eggs nestled on an incubator tray. Finally, on Jan. 6, she ran in to see several had hatched, swimming around with their yolk sacs still attached.

"It's fun to see them swim around. We had to wait a long time," said Ashley, 13.

Seventh-graders in science teacher Deborah Hickey's classroom are raising trout for an eventual spring release in the Charles River through an educational program offered by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. As part of Teaching with Trout, students keep an eye on the water temperature in the tank, test the water for pH, ammonia, nitrate and dissolved oxygen levels, and correlate their findings with mortality rates.

The project is a hands-on way for kids to learn about concepts such as ecology, population biology, water quality and conservation, Hickey said.

"The whole point of project-based learning is question-driven. 'What's next? How do they sleep? How big are they going to get?' They're asking all the right questions," said Hickey.

Soon, the fish will start to feed, and their waste will cause spikes in ammonia as it decomposes. Hickey said she's looking forward to students noticing that spike in their daily water tests and deducing what is behind it. 

"They're going to drive that on their own," said Hickey.

Every class, a "tank team" of students check the tank, keeping an eye on the temperature and removing any dead fish. Students then record their findings in a journal, reporting what's changed since the previous day.

There are "no more fish laying in the open," wrote Rian Barber, 13, in her journal Thursday. "They have all moved to the rocks. I wonder why they hide in the rocks. Is it protection?"

There are about 50 schools across the state taking part in the program, said Hickey. Equipment was purchased with the help of a retired coworker. According to MassWildlife, an aquarium set-up for the project costs roughly $1,300, though maintaining it costs very little. The system includes a 55-gallon tank, water chiller, air pump and water chemistry test kits.

Another aspect of the project is educating the community about the importance of ecosystem health in the Charles River Watershed with an exhibit at the end of the project. 

"Ultimately, we want them to be stewards of the environment," said Hickey. "We want them to understand the environment and move toward protecting it."

According to Hickey, it's the "coolest thing" she's ever done as a teacher.

"There's nothing better as a teacher than seeing kids run into the room every period to see the growth," she said.

Zane Razzaq writes about education. Reach her at 508-626-3919 or zrazzaq@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

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