Small Fry to Go - Week #3; A Student's Perspective!

I first heard about the Small Fry to Go Project from one of my teachers, Mr. Resh. He took his class over to see the LABitat, where there were hundreds of small trout in a sizable aquarium. I knew this was a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program, but I was a bit confused at first. The program did not seem to teach more then the life cycle and biological processes of trout.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Mrs. Gerges, the lead teacher for the Small Fry to Go Project. She said in addition to learning the life cycle of trout, her students were also learning about the basics and purpose of dechlorination, pH tests, and the nitrogen cycle. I was really quite impressed! These are subjects from high school level classes (Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science) being taught in a grade school environment! Moreover, the students learn about the technology used to monitor the fish’s habitat, and how fish can impact different areas of society and the environment.

Since then, I have been to the LABitat many times, and each time, students of all sorts come to see the fish and learn what they can. The Small Fry to Go Project is really quite ingenious; to engage students in all manners of STEM education by simply talking about fish is a very amazing feat. I am lucky enough to be along for the ride, as I will be blogging about the fish and what the students are learning (in more scientific terms, of course) for the next few weeks. I hope this journey will be as interesting, informative, and enjoyable for you as I find it.

Alexander Choi, Sophomore,

Temecula Preparatory School