For me, trout in the classroom has been a great learning experience as well as an activity that I could use to teach a number of ideas from life cycles to niches in the community to keeping our water clean. Without the help and support I received from Trout Unlimited and Tom Frew with the Fish and Game, I would not have had such a unique and rich semester. I learned along with the students the fish life cycle and the anatomy of a fish. It was so helpful to have Tom to provide fish for both my classes and then teach the class on dissection so that I could do it for another class. Whenever I had a problem with the water or feeding the fish, I had someone to call and Tom and Richard would respond immediately. I never felt alone with in this program. Also having other teachers in the program was an assest as they gave me support and ideas and I was able to have my students work with the 4th graders from Carrie Prange's class.

I loved walking into class and seeing the students huddled around the fish tank. They would be excited to tell me what they saw and how the fish were growing and they all enjoyed feeding the fish (though they thought the food stunk!). And for high school students to show any enthusiam about something - well that is an accomplishment!

I must admit it was hard to let the fish go, but we all agreed it was great to be releasing them into the wild.

This was a great program and I'm glad I had the opportunity to participate and look forward to doing it again.

Student evaluations:
Trout in the Classroom

-- When Tom Frew brought the fish they looked like small dots. When we dissected the fish it was pretty sick. When we released the fish it was kind of sad because I fed them every day and I learned a lot from them.

-- The fish eggs were awesome to watch day by day. We watched them grow as little fish which was a good experience for me. Since I learn visually, it helped me learn more about the life cycle of fish.

-- Tom Frew I thought was very informational and helpful for me. He had some interesting points such as the spawning of salmon. Dissecting the sih was my favorite part of the year because I learned so much about the insides of fish, even though it really smelt bad, it was fun. Releasing the fish was also a great experience for me. I participated with the 4th graders to make my job easier. I also got a great vision of how a real biologist works on the river

-- I liked having the fish in the classroom. Testing the water and learning about the fish was interesting. Tom Frew seemed like he knew a lot about what he was saying. He taught us a lot. I didn't care for dissecting the fish. Releasing the fish was fun, but having the fourth graders with us was a waste of their class time, because they had no real background knowledge of the tests.

-- Looking at the fish eggs was really nothing unique to looking at everything else we have under the microscope. However I enjoyed Tom Frew who was very informative, nice and interesting. I also liked dissecting the actual fish. It was easy to see all of the features and I learned a lot about fish organs. Testing the water gave me a chance to see what real biologist do.

-- Through hatching trout eggs of our own, we were able to differentiate between the separate stages of a fishes life which tied into biology very nicely. Our class was also able to see what made up an egg and how they feed off of their egg sacs. I would have liked to have had more time to work with the 4th graders, it all seemed rushed! It would have also been nice if we were told what and where our fish would go and what chance of survival they had. I felt somewhat attached to them and would like to know if they're doing okay.

-- The information that we learned about the fish was very interesting. Tom Frew's talk that he gave was very helpful for understanding some of the things that we needed to pay attention tow hile releasing the sih and doing the other tests. The dissecting of the fish also helped because it let me learn the different parts of the fish. Working with the 4th graders was interesting because we got to see their view on the whole project and what they thought about the fish. The tests were good too because we got a lot of info from them.

-- I like seeing the fish because I don't have fish. Testing the water was interesting because it was weird finding out how dirty the water is. Tom Frew is a smart man who knows a lot about fish. It was cool that he could visit our class. Dissecting fish was gross, I never want to do that again. Releasing the fish was good for the fish because now they can go and be free. Working with 4th graders was fun because I knew Joe and he is cool.

-- The program is very good. From the start I felt involved in the process. To watch the fish grow on a day to day basis. I felt that I learned a lot watching the fish, much more so than learning the info from a book. I think that he did a very good job on spending his time with us, and helping us with the fish. It was very interesting to see how the fish evolved from the little eggs into nice little trout. I also like the idea of going down to the river with the little kids. That was fun. Thank you.

-- The whole fish eggs to releasing with the 4th graders was pretty cool. I think that if you do that next year, kids will enjoy it.

-- I thought that our class getting to raise the fish from little eggs was really cool and fun. Mr Frew was very nice and interesting to listen to. Dissecting the fish was really fun because we got to cut them open. It was hard, but interesting. Testing the water was hard work, but also very interesting to track how the fish live. Releasing the fish was the best part. We got to get outside on a field trip and go to the river. Also, eating ants was cool. Working with the 4th graders was the coolest.

-- I was really excited when I heard we were going to get fish in the classroom. When Mr. Frew explained to us about the eggs when they first arrived. I was really interested because he told us things I had never known. He really helped us out and educated us well. When we dissected the fish he helped us and pointed out every part of the fish. He talks to you in an interesting way. He keeps you interested. Testing the water was fun. Working with the 4th graders was exciting. It made me feel good to know I was educating them.

-- I liked the idea of growing fish in class and then releasing them. My favorite part was when we dissected the fish. Mr. Frew was a good guest speaker and explains stuff well. It was cool when we released them.

-- I thought it was very nice that Mr. Frew took his time to come teach us three different times. When we got the eggs he told us a lot about them and told us how to take care of them. Thanks Mr. Frew!

-- Mr. Frew is a good speaker and has good information that he talks about. It was fun testing the fish water with the instruments in class. Dissecting the trout, although kind of bad BEFORE lunch, was alright. Thanks Mr. Frew!!

-- The whole fish project was really cool. It was fun raising the fish from eggs to the fry stage. Mr. Frew provided us with a lot of information about how to raise them, etc. And the little added extras like dissecting fish and working with the 4th graders was cool too. It was all around a pretty neat experience.

-- I had lots of fun with the fish project in the classroom. However, I would have liked to have some dissecting gloves and glasses when I dissect the fish, because even though I washed my hands five times, they still felt really gross. I don't think its sanitary to work without gloves. You could get salmonella or something. But besides that I had a ton of fun and I liked working with the 4th graders. Thank you Mr. Frew

-- It was cool when he brought the fish eggs and fish to dissect. Mr. Frew also gave me some information that I didn't know. I didn't enjoy testing water. Releasing the fish was cool to see them leave and to go down with our buddies and eat ants. The 4th graders were cool and one of ours wouldn't talk to us, but then she did.

-- I thought it was interesting to see the fish grow and hatch. Testing the water so much and keeping track of it got kind of boring. It was fun releasing the fish with the 4th graders and Mr. Frew was cool.

-- The whole fish experience was pretty interesting. It really helped to grow the fish and study them at the same time. It gave a live visual to what we=20 were learning. I really didn't like dissecting the fish. I can't stand fish, so I didn't like touching them. It was gross. Walking to the river was really cool. I enjoyed going outside.

-- I liked the fact that we had a class pet. The fish were interesting. That was cool about how we learned about the fish. The one thing I didn't like was testing and copying the info down everyday.

-- I had a lot of fun learning about the fish. I thought that it was cool to see the fish grow in to big fish. I have learned a lot about fish from Mr. Frew and all of the talks that he had with us. I like them being released into the wild.

-- I thought that it was interesting to see the life cycle of a trout. I never knew what they looked like before I caught them. The tests we took really helped me a lot. We should do it again next year.

-- Tom Frew was a very calm guy, explained many things to us. He loved our questions and it seemed like we and him connected well. It was fun dissecting fish with him. At the river, he explained things very well and helped us keep our fishes healthy.

-- I think it was an awesome thing that we were able to interact (so to speak) with the fish like that. And I find it absolutely great that we included 4th graders in this.

-- Well, as far as fish eggs went, they were pretty cool. I liked how you could see their eyes. Tom Frew was nice. He seemed to be well educated in what he was talking about! He also seemed pretty nice, and was a big help. Dissecting fish was a great and new experience. Although a little messy, it helped me better understand fish and their internal structures. Hands-on activities are always nice. Testing water was a little confusing, but it was, once again, a new experience. Releasing the fish was my favorite activity along with working with the 4th graders. I doubt they really grasped much of what we were saying, but they probably understand the main ideas.

-- I thought raising the fish was pretty cool, but I didn't like keeping track of all the data. It was long and drawn out. I think people should take turns recording them. I didn't like dissecting fish because it stunk really bad. Releasing fish was cool because I liked the little kids. They were eager to learn and we knew what to teach them.

-- I thought the over-all program was beneficial when Mr. Frew came to talk the first time it was a little boring. Then we dissected fish that was so gross. I enjoyed releasing the fish with the 4th graders. Except I didn't have a very good view.

-- Hatching the eggs was enjoyable, but I don't really know what I learned from it. Mr. Frew was helpful in the supplies, bu to tell the truth, I'm not sure what his role in the project was. Dissecting the fish was pretty educational to learn about fish anatomy from a 1st hand point of view. Testing the water was boring, but did serve to show the effects of environment on the occupants. Releasing the fish, for me, was enjoyable, but what was it we learned from that? I didn't see the 4th graders making much of a difference in the project.

-- Working with the fish was interesting and tied our skills in with real world situations. Tom Frew described what we were doing in great detail. He made our work seem worth it, like we were helping by taking the eggs. The 4th graders were interesting at best. I couldn't really get through to them.

-- I thought the whole time, in general was very fun. Mr. Frew's few presentations were exciting and a learning experience. All Mr. Frew did for us helped us learn and have fun. I would like to thank Mr. Frew for a lifetime experience. I hope our fish survive in the wild.

-- I thought that doing all these things that we did was really helpful. I think it helps with learning this part of science. Having the fish in class helps with learning about what they like. It was good to work with the 4th graders. They also knew a lot about the habitat and the fish. Mr. Frew helped to learn things about the fish. Overall I think this was a good idea.

-- I feel that bringing in the fish helped. Instead of just talking about the fish and learning by pictures, we were actually able to look at them in real life and it helped me better. My group did the nitrate test, which was easy, but I didn't enjoy it. We spent a little bit of time at the river with the fourth graders which I thought was alright. But overall, I enjoyed it.

-- Yes, this was a good project to do in biology. It helps us to take some responsibility like feeding and taking care of the fish. Mr. Frew was okay. It was nice of him to help with this project. Working with the 4th graders was fun too. Dissecting the fish was gross, testing the water was good, releasing the fish was okay.

-- It was interesting to see the eggs under the microscope and see the eyes and spinal cord. Learning how to test everything was very interesting. It takes a lot of work and I think that is the knowledge that we gain.

-- I think that doing this project on raising fish was helpful and tied in with our biology lessons. We had a chance to actually raise fish and know what they need to live. I think that working with the 4th graders hel them learn a little bit more on fish as well as have fun while learning. Testing the water we had to use skills that we learned in previous years but was still fun to see if we still remembered whey we do it and how to do it.

-- I felt like this was an ok project. I don't know how I would ever use any of the information I have learned. I'm sure this would be useful for someone who would be interested in that kind of work. I didn't much like this unit except I did like that we got to do a lot of hands on work which was good. I felt like Mr. Frew was really boring, he had lots of information, but didn't relate it to his audience. He spoke very monotone which doesn't keep peoples interest. I liked working with the 4th graders - it was fun.

-- Raising the fish was pretty fun. I really liked dissecting the fish. It was pretty cool. I think it worked well with biology. I had done water testing before, so it was pretty easy. It was kind of fun working with the 4th graders. Over all it was pretty fun.

-- The fish are a good way to see the developmental cycle of rainbow trout. The fish dissection showed the anatomy of the fish. I also enjoyed working with the elementary kids. I think we really helped the community by testing water.

-- I thought this program was interesting. Mr Frew helped me understand the fish more. Dissecting fish made me sick, I could have done without that. Testing the water got to be really boring after a while. Releasing the fish was fun because we got to go out for it. I did find it to be kind of pointless though because we had already done the tests we did. Working with the fourth graders was fun and interesting.

-- I think the entire thing was fun. Tom Frew was a goof. Dissecting fish was fun. Testing the water was hard, but good for the fish. Releasing the fish was good for the fish. Working with 4th graders was weird. But luck it was my 4th grade teacher too.

-- Raising the fish was ok. It was cool to see them grow and change. Dissecting the fish was pretty gross and I didn't really get to see the inside anyway. Testing the water got old. Releasing the fish was ok, but I'm not sure how much the 4th graders really understood anyway.

-- I think the "fish eggs project" was alright. All the tests that we ran were pretty valuable. Yet, doing the project with the little kids was a waste of time. They probably don't even know a single thing that we told them. The dissection unit was also very fun. That stuff was cool.

-- The fish activities were very interesting and I think Mr. Frew was informative and knew what he was talking about. I also say that you should do this again.

-- Tom Frew, who belongs to the Idaho Fish and Game, came to our class on various occasions. One time (the 1st time), Tom dropped off the rainbow trout eggs and explained what to do. He was very efficient in explaining everything about our new fish eggs. Later on, he came in with fish to dissect and just recently, he went with us to drop our fish at the river. Releasing the fish was good. It was sad to see them go )-: But it felt good knowing that we raised them. Working with 4th graders was good because we had a "teaching" kind of perspective. We should have spent more time with them to observe different tests and observations though.

-- Tom Frew is a member of the Idaho Fish and Game. In the beginning of Feb. Mr. Frew brought our class around a hundred fish eggs for us to watch and take care of until the eggs hatched and the fish were ready to be taken out into the wild. We took care of the fish by feeding and testing the water for correct levels of pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and nitrite. Mr. Frew also brought in dead fish for us to dissect and learn about a fishes body. Finally it was time for us to release our fish. We walked down to Riverside, met our 4th grade buddies and proceeded down to the river to release "our babies" Overall, I thought it was a wonderful project for my peers and I to participate in. I enjoyed taking care and learning more about trout. Working with the 4th graders was fun also. Thanks for the wonderful experience.

-- It was good to walk over to the river to let the fishes go. It was fun to do the WQ tests with the 4th graders. It was overall a good experience to understand the life cycles of fish & the water quality

-- Going down to the river with the 4th graders was the most fun thing we have done all year. It was really fun to interact with younger kids and showing them how our tests worked and why we did them. Plus Mr. Frew was a great teacher.