"Salmon Population Decline"
Artwork
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Visual and Performing Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Jill Pelto Gallery
What it is
- This watercolor by scientist and artist Jill Pelto shows the decline of the salmon population.
- This painting helps students understand the struggle of salmon populations as their spawning habitat declines due to lower water levels and higher temperatures in rivers.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Students' engagement with works of art enhances their creativity and communication skills.
- Students can learn about how animals adapt to environmental changes and the threats they face along the way.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the following concepts: environmental threats, animal adaptation, melting glaciers, temperature rise, and climate change.
Differentiation
- In art class, students could analyze and interpret this painting and then create their own artwork on climate change from their point of view.
- An ELA teacher could present this image to students and ask them to write a descriptive paragraph describing the artwork and their interpretation.
- This picture could be used as a hook for a lesson on marine biodiversity and how it's changing. The teacher could show it on the screen and ask students to write down their observations.
- The teacher could ask students to design solutions to protect the salmon population.
- Another one of Jill Pelto's works of art is ocean acidification, which also relates to the effects of climate change on marine life.
From the scientist review
Salmon population is on the decline as reported by the data. However, climate change has posed serious threats to marine resources causing migration and loss. This resource is recommended.
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