What Is The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Project?

The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Project is an innovative conservation/environmental education initiative aimed at increasing awareness of, and respect for, aquatic resources.

Interdisciplinary in nature, the project uses art as a springboard into the wonderful world of America's aquatic resources. Through a comprehensive lesson plan and a complete species identification guide, educators for grades 4 through 12 will teach children all about their state-fish and its habitat requirements.

Free Lesson Plan

Information contained in the lesson plan is written for educators who teach grades 4 - 12.

The lesson plan includes:
extensive background information
diverse procedures and extensions
a thorough glossary of terms
traditional and non-traditional assessment opportunities including:
     > student worksheets
     > suggested quiz questions
     > a pre-test/post-test option to measure change in knowledge

The lesson plan is designed for use as a stand-alone unit or as a supplement to existing curriculum. Based on the key principles of ecology, stewardship, and resource management, it encourages active participation in the learning process by requiring problem-solving, decision-making, and cooperation.

Importantly, the lesson plan emphasizes critical thinking skills, inquiry, and experiential learning that will cultivate a sense of community with and personal responsibility to the natural world.

Go To The Free Lesson Plan

Free Species Identification Guide

The species identification guide identifies and profiles each state's official fish. Each species profile includes such information as:
physical description
reproductive and feeding behavior
habitat requirements

Each species profile also contains a segment titled "Did You Know" highlighting interesting facts such as speed, defense mechanisms, population trends, and status.

Click here to download Wildlife Forever's State Fish Free Species Identification Guide in .pdf format for use with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

State-Fish Art Contest

The culminating lesson activity will be the State-Fish Art Contest. Children will use their newly acquired knowledge to create a learning portfolio, which includes a "state-fish" illustration and a composition or theme paper about the fish, its habitat, or conservation efforts specific to it. Visit the Rules & Regulations Page for contest rules and an Entry Form.

Also Available for Homeschool and In-School Teachers

Wildlife Forever's CD ROM Curriculum with fourteen lessons plans. These elementary lesson plans will help you teach math, language arts, social studies and science using the context of wildlife conservation. Written and reviewed by teachers.

Complete with worksheets and a photocopier friendly teachers guide. Plus an interactive companion CD that includes video, sounds and photographs of over 60 critters.

Learn more about the CD ROM Curriculum.