Fish in the Classroom is a ground-breaking initiative developed by Thames21 that puts small self-contained fish hatcheries into schools involved in the project.  Sticklebacks are used for this project as they are relatively easy to care for and exhibit interesting breeding behaviour.  They are sourced from local rivers with permission from the Environment Agency.  Students observe the behaviour of the fish and with good care will observe the development of the fish eggs and fry, finally releasing the sticklebacks into their local waterway. Schools have support and advice throughout the initiative from Thames21.  The Fish in the Classroom project is accompanied by field visits and other educational activities to build connections between the children and their local waterway.

See some of the pictures of participating 2009 schools in the image galleries.  Click the document below for a report from Kaizen School in Newham on their experiences taking part in this project.

This is also a great activity to promote young citizenship and encourage ownership of the children’s local environment. If you’re interested in joining the many schools in East London who will be taking part in this exciting project, please get in touch with Vicky D’souza at Vicky.dsouza@thames21.org.uk or call 07827 852599.