This lesson teaches students about the role of organisms in their ecosystems through food webs and energy transfer. It highlights the role of salmon as a keystone species that connects land, freshwater, and ocean environments in Washington.

This lesson is highly recommended prior to MCF’s Climatology Part 2 classroom presentation. In this lesson, students will learn the difference between climate and weather using simple climate and weather data for central Washington.

This lesson is a great pre-cursor to salmon dissections. Students will explore how animals and plants have special traits and behaviors, called adaptations, that help them survive in their environments. Through creative design and comparison activities, students will connect adaptations on imaginary planets to real habitats in Washington and understand why salmon need specific conditions to survive.

This lesson is highly recommended to prepare students for their salmon stewardship projects. It provides an introduction to the concept of stewardship, and local examples of how we can all be better stewards of salmon habitat.