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Salmon Life Lottery

In this game, students learn some of the threats to salmon at different stages of their life cycle. In the wild it is estimated that out of 2,500 eggs of Coho salmon, only two survive to become spawners for the next generation. This game is interactive and representative of the challenges that salmon face throughout life. It is inspired by Salmonids in the Classroom.

Objectives

  • Identify each stage of the salmon life cycle.

  • Identify factors (natural and human-made) that affect salmon survival.

Materials

Key Questions

  • How many of you made it to be spawners?
  • What happened to those who died?
  • How do the dead salmon help nature?

What To Do

Set up

  1. Everyone starts as a Coho salmon egg.
  2. Give each student a card with a code or let them choose their own.

​Game

  1. Call out the codes in order. Get students to put up their hand if they have that code. Then tell them their fate, which they can act out if they choose to do so.
  2. Continue through all the life stages. Congratulate those still left.

Extensions

  • Using the list of threats, examine which ones have a human influence. Discuss how we can help salmon instead of create threats to their life cycles.

Other Resources

Science World| Salmon Mix and Match Cards PDF

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Salmon Lifecycle poster PDF

About the sticker

Survivors

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

About the sticker

Egg BB

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

About the sticker

Comet Crisp

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

About the sticker

T-Rex and Baby

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

About the sticker

Buddy the T-Rex

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

About the sticker

Geodessy

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

About the sticker

Science Buddies

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.

About the sticker

Western Dinosaur

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.

About the sticker

Time-Travel T-Rex

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.