Studying the development of Atlantic salmon — eggs to fry — provides a model for the study of life cycles, traits, behavior and natural selection. Students participate in the conservation of Atlantic salmon and connect to the natural world as they release salmon fry into a local river. This project is made possible by the Saco Salmon Restoration Alliance and Fish Friends.
Elementary students carry out the scientific practices to explore the behavior of light. They investigate: Does light bend?, Is light made of many colors?, Can light travel through objects?, and Do we need light to see an object? with flashlights, lenses, prisms and child-safe lasers.
Engineering a paper circuit introduces students to engineering practices while learning how chemical energy stored in batteries is transformed into light energy. This unit inspires youth engineering maker projects.
Students become agricultural engineers while creating hand pollinators, which pick up and drop off pollen to help plants make fruit and seeds. For more information see Engineering is Elementary.