Sequim Middle School seventh graders are getting hands-on experience with science through a partnership with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition. As part of the Real Learning, Real Work program, students are exploring what it takes to plan and restore salmon habitats along the Dungeness River.
The program began with an in-class lesson taught by Coalition staff, introducing students to what salmon need to thrive in a healthy river ecosystem. In October, students took their learning into the field, surveying plots of land that will be restored later in the year and practicing essential field skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the local environment.
Throughout the school year, North Olympic Salmon Coalition members will visit classrooms to teach lessons that build on these experiences. Topics will include engineering, native organisms, field techniques, and restoration planning. In late March, students will return to the Dungeness River to put their designs into action and engage in the real work of habitat restoration.
Beyond offering a meaningful connection to the land and the life it supports; this program directly enhances the 7th grade Life Sciences curriculum. Students are deepening their understanding of interdependent relationships among organisms, the flow of matter and energy, ecosystem dynamics, and the adaptations that help species survive, all while making a tangible difference in their own community.