• Unit Overview
  • Overview
  • Guiding Question
  • Grade Level/Audience
  • Unit Concepts
  • Standards
  • Education and the Environment Initiative
  • Tips for Managing the Unit
  • Unit Assessment
  • Materials Needed
  • Background Information
• Unit Activities
  • Unit Activities
  • Activity 1: Getting to Know Salmon and Steelhead
  • Activity 2: The Incredible Journey
  • Activity 3: Community Art Project
  • Activity 4: Community Survey
  • Activity 5: Salmon and Steelhead Creek Walk
  • Activity 6: Defining Our Watershed
  • Activity 7: Watershed Web Search
  • Activity 8: Mapping Our Community
  • Activity 9: Salmon and Steelhead Life Stories Web Search
  • Activity 10: Designing for Salmon and Steelhead
  • Activity 11: Creek Monitoring
  • Activity 12: Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project
  • Activity 13: Community Celebration
• Participant Activities
  • Participant Activities
  • Watershed Web Search
  • Salmon and Steelhead Life Stories Web Search
• Materials List
• Resources
  • Resources
  • Information about Salmon and Steelhead
  • Watersheds
  • Aerial Photographs and Mapping
  • Resource Agencies and Organizations
  • Restoration Projects
  • Monitoring
  • Art Projects
  • Surveys and Community Mapping
  • Other Curricula
  • Stories and Music
  • Raising Salmon and Steelhead
  • Videos
  • Scientific Supply Companies
  • Recipes
• Acknowledgements
  • Acknowledgements
  • Adopt-A-Watershed
  • California 4-H Youth Development Program

Grade Level/Audience

The curriculum has been designed for 6th grade youth in classroom settings, after-school programs, and other venues. It can be adjusted easily for a wider age range or audience.

Use by Youth Groups
The activities in this package have been designed to fit comfortably into a wide variety of after-school and in-school educational programs and camps offered by youth-service agencies. Below are specific suggestions concerning how they might be used within particular organizations.

4-H Youth Development Program
This project material has been developed in consultation with the 4-H Youth Development Program staff and fits well into the 4-H project areas, Marine Biology and/or Oceanography, Environmental Stewardship and Citizenship and/or Community Pride. The materials can also be effectively used with the 4-H SERIES Recycle/Reuse Project materials. 4-H participants are encouraged to use Plastic in the Oceans as a basis for fair exhibits, demonstration talks, National 4-H Week activities, and other public events.

Boys and Girls Clubs of America
These learning activities may be used as a guide for club activities in environmental education, one of the six core services provided by the Boys and Girls Clubs programs. The activities may also complement individual clubs’ existing programs in recycling, litter education, or marine science.

Girl Scouts
Within the Junior Girl Scout Program, these learning activities can be used for:

• Working toward badges in World of Today and Tomorrow (Science In Action; Water Wonders) or in World of the Out-of-Doors (Eco-Action; Outdoor Surroundings).
• Participating in the Contemporary Issues Program “Earth Matters,” and earning the participation patch.
• Participating in environmental badge activities at Girl Scout summer day camp or long-term camp.
• Developing activities, under the Council Patch Program Plan, that involve community improvement projects and investigative and hands-on environmental awareness activities for a troop or council-wide event.

Camp Fire
These activities complement several projects in the Camp Fire Adventure, Discovery, and Horizon programs, including:

• Try-Ad projects and Action Crafts
• Torch Bearer projects in Environmental Issues or Special Interest
• Components for the national Project Good Earth
• As one of the three issues explored in an individual’s WoHeLo Medallion project. The Curriculum can also be used in resident and day camp programs located near beaches, lakes, and rivers.