Grades 8-10 Educational Resources

One of the big focusses for Grade 8-10 students is developing a sense of place, and fine tuning understanding in life cycle stages. We encourage you to use these sturgeon resources to bring a local example to your classroom.

We always appreciate feedback and ideas on how to improve on and add to our resource library. Please email us with your comments and ideas.

Click on the resource link buttons, or on the images below each section to get to the resource.

For the Classroom

Classroom Calendar 2023-2024 Grade 8-10

  • This calendar keeps your class engaged throughout the school year. Please bookmark the Classroom Calendar and refer back to it regularly to links to activities, resources, websites and videos to support learning. 

Nechako Watershed Map

  • If you want to show how big the Nechako Watershed is, or need help in pointing out different communities in the region, use this map on your Smartboard. It shows where Nechako white sturgeon live in the watershed.

Sturgeon Timeline

  • Great graphic timeline takes your class from the age of the dinosaurs to today, linking sturgeon evolution and life cycle to major events through time in our region.

Click here to view full timeline

Nature Guide

  • This handy Nature Guide to the Nechako Valley is a great resource to take with you on field trips, or to have on hand in the classroom. The guide covers all the different habitats in the Nechako Valley, from forests to agricultural lands and wetlands, and talks about some of the species you'll find in each habitat. Students can use it as a research guide or for inspiration to learn more about our local environment.
  • This resource is also available as a hardcopy for you. Please reach out to your school principal to copies, or email us! Shown below.
  Nature Guide

Videos

The NWSRI has a growing library of videos about sturgeon, including our own YouTube Channel! Please Subscribe to our Youtube Channel to stay connected when we publish new videos.

Every Sturgeon Counts

Every Sturgeon Counts focuses on First Nations and sturgeon, the Boat Kit Program, conservation and habitat of sturgeon. Download the video resource sheet to help you navigate the content of the video. We encourage educators to view the video before showing to young learners to ensure the content is at a level suited for you students.

Sturgeon Series

This video series has content that would support educators of young learners to understand Nechako White Sturgeon better. The content of these videos was geared more for older student, and may be too advanced for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students. We encourage educators to watch the videos to learn about sturgeon and find the ares that their students would benefit from.

Supplementary Resources

These one-page resources have activity ideas, add additional information about a specific topic, and lead to additional learning.

What is a PIT tag? 

Fish Culture - Work at the Conservation Centre

Sturgeon History

Set-Line 

Spawn Monitoring 

Sturgeon Curriculum

The fully developed Sturgeon Curriculum is a comprehensive program that covers all aspects of sturgeon biology and ecology plus lessons and information on the Nechako Watershed, land use impacts and riparian zones.

The curriculum includes: Background materials, Presentations, Lesson Plans, Activity Sheets, Answer Keys, Field Trip suggestions, and suggestions for Inquiry projects.

The Presentations are PDF slideshows that can be viewed on your Smartboard or on any computer. Download them to save for later or to share.

The Lessons include background information along with activities and links to additional resources.

Unit 1 - Introduction and Overview

If you only have a short amount of time to dedicate to sturgeon, but you want to touch on the main areas of conservation for sturgeon, then complete Unit 1 of this curriculum. It provides a good overview of sturgeon and watersheds. 

Unit 1 - Complete Download

Unit 1 Sturgeon Curriculum

Presentations 

Introduction to Nechako White Sturgeon

Introduction to the Nechako Watershed

Lessons 

1-1: Intro to NWS

1-2: Intro to the Nechako Watershed

Unit 2 - Watersheds, Riparian Zones and Land Use

Unit 2 - Complete Download

Unit 2 Curriculum

Presentations 

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Riparian Zones

Lessons

2-1: Watersheds

2-2: Riparian Zones

2-3: Biodiversity

2-4: Habitat and Humans

2-5: Recovery and Rehabilitation

2-6: Field Trip Ideas

Unit 3 - Sturgeon Biology

Unit 3 - Complete Download

Unit 3 Curriculum

Presentations

NWS Decline

NWS External Anatomy

NWS Habitat and Food

NWS Life Cycle

Lessons and Activity Sheets

3-1: External Anatomy

3-2: Life Cycle

3-3: Habitat

3-4: Sturgeon Decline

3-5: Guest Speaker Ideas

3-6: 'Day in the Life' Lessons and Project

Outside and Field Trips

Field Kit (for loan)

We have a Field Kit available on loan to teachers in SD91. This kit is great for in-classroom as well as outdoor classroom lessons on sturgeon biology and life history, stream health, and aquatic invertebrates. Appropriate for all grade levels. Click here to see the list of items in the kit.

Hatchery Tour

Feel free to stop by the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre or book at tour, to more about sturgeon biology, the hatchery and the watershed by circulating through the outdoor information signs.

Interpretive Signs

The NWSRI has a collection of interpretive signs throughout the watershed, in different locations on Fraser Lake, Stuart Lake and the Nechako River. View these interpretive signs to help you plan your next field trip. The interpretive signs at the NWS Conservation Centre provide a general overview of many of the aspects related to sturgeon aquaculture, the hatchery, the Nechako watershed and sturgeon biology.

Education