The Yellow Fish Road resource connects young people from all across the country who care about clean water preservation. The program helps youth to educate fellow community members about their water supply, the impact of water pollution on the health of a community and the need to protect our watersheds. In this project, students paint yellow fish on storm drains in school neighbourhoods and distribute fish hangers to homes in order to raise awareness of the importance of the proper disposal of hazardous wastes.
Students will learn about:
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | The resource encourages students to examine toxic chemicals, particularly in their home and the variety of ways that humans impact water supplies. Emphasis is on waste disposal in the home. Not much attention is given to industrial polluting of water sources, although teachers can introduce this in the first activity. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Satisfactory | The resource focuses on the ecological (environmental) and health related (social) aspects of water quality. There are ethical and aesthetic dimensions which the students are encouraged to consider. The economic (and political) aspects can be investigated but the resource does not provide specific guidelines. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Good | While the complexity of issues is respected, the resource would benefit from a consideration of why humans pollute as much as they do. There are obstacles to disposing of pollutants responsibly or using non-polluting approaches, such as the cost of treating industrial waste-water or farming without using pesticides and herbicides. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good |
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Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good |
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Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Poor/Not considered | Poor |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Very Good | Students complete activities that lead them to understand how earth's water system works, human relationships to that system and how we can become effective and caring stewards of water. The resource includes a combination of both indoor and outdoor activities. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Very Good | Students examine their own local watersheds and how their personal actions affect those watersheds. The action project educates people in the students' surrounding community. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Satisfactory |
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Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Good |
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Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Very Good |
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Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Very Good | Students complete mind-maps along with models, simulation and research activities that are all inquiry-based. Students are encouraged to reflect on their findings in personal journals and share opinions during group discussions. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Very Good |
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Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Very Good |
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Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | Students complete activities in groups although no cooperative strategies are explicitly taught (except how to reach consensus in a group and choose an action project). |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Good |
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Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Good | In the street-painting activity, students are actively sharing their knowledge during conversations with community members. Students are also encouraged to pursue classroom visits or school-wide assemblies. No aspect of the activity allows for on-going mentorship. |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Poor/Not considered | Poor
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Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Satisfactory | The activities in the module are structured and scripted. While students might pursue areas of personal interest during the website research in the house-hold toxins activity, they do not otherwise explore in an area of personal interest. Some extension activities may allow students to pursue a chosen issue. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |