The goal of each group is to research a current and local fish-related issue in the news and, from this, create a means of educating and spreading awareness of this issue. 

Instructions:

1. Read and make a copy of a recent (no more than 2 years old) article from a journal, newspaper or magazine that deals with one of the following local fish issues listed below.

Aquaculture
Shark Fin Soup
Aboriginal Fishing
Fish Parasites or Disease
Overfishing / Sustainability

 2.  Articles need to be of a substantial length (minimum 300 words) and focused on events within British Columbia.  The article does not need to highlight a specific species of fish but it must at least discuss a specific group of fish (eg. salmon, sharks, rockfish).  The article needs to be turned in with the project.

3.  Electronic resources must come from credible/reputable sources (eg. no blogs, no wikis).  This will be discussed further in the library session.

 4.  The results of your research can be presented in the format of your choosing but must be reasonable and approved of by the teacher.  Suggested forms include:  An awareness poster/pamphlet, letter to the prime minister, presentation/performance, comic strip, or educational video.

 5.  All projects must include the following information:

      I.            A description of the current events issue covered in the article (you do not need to summarize the entire article)

    II.            Biological details of the fish species/group, such as:

Habitat
Life cycle or spawning patterns
Size/Weight statistics
Predator/prey interactions
Population levels

    III.            Historical importance of the fish species/group, such as:

Human usage
Establishment of fisheries
Economic role
Cultural importance

   IV.            How this event might impact the local ecosystem, such as:

Human health
Habitat health
Other species in the fish species’/group’s habitat
Sustainability of the fish species/group

 V.            What is being done in reaction to this event, such as:

Current governance
What is being considered
The costs and benefits to what is being considered

  VI.            Your conclusion and final message, such as:

Why do you feel this issue is important or interesting?

What questions do you still have?
What further issues do you think need to be addressed?
What is your opinion regarding what needs to be done?

    VII.     Proper citation using MLA 7^th edition format.  This will be covered in the library session.  There are also a links below that explain the proper formatting.

     VIII.            A title.  The title must be in the form of a question that is intended to provoke thought in the reader.

Each student in the group is expected to contribute fairly to the project.  The project will be marked out of 50 according to the rubric on the following page.  Please read the rubric so you will have a good idea of how to get full marks!

If you’re having difficulties finding a suitable article:

• Try the following keywords:  Salmon, steelhead, trout ,sturgeon, rockfish, halibut, cod,  fishery, treaty, fish farm, pathogen, virus, Vancouver
• When using a search engine, make sure you expand your searches to include older news.

Here are some links that you might find helpful:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• OWL Purdue (MLA formatting guide) 
• Easybib (Automatic citation maker)