The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for grade 3 require students to create models that describe how organisms have unique and diverse life cycles, such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death. A Salmon Story: Protecting the Future is the perfect foundational read-aloud before developing these models.

Not only does it describe each of these stages in interesting rhyming couplets, but each page also contains effective, kid-friendly text features that explain vocabulary and other scientific information. The illustrations are bright, simple images that cover the pages beautifully while conveying the story details.

This meaningful picture book also conveys the importance of salmon in the environment as well as to the Indigenous Nations who have cared for the survival of the salmon for centuries. Students learn about a creature with a unique life cycle and also better understand the interconnectedness of every living thing on planet Earth.

Featured Picture Book:

A Salmon Story (2026)

Written by Willie Poll

Illustrated by Chantelle Trainor-Matties

From the Publisher:

A lyrical informational picture book about how open-net pen fish farms impact wild salmon and their ecosystems.

Salmon are central to their ecosystem and the lives of many Indigenous Nations, but the rapid rise of open net-pen fish farming has threatened these longstanding connections. Salmon have followed the same migration routes for thousands of years, but the fish farming industry has had a deadly impact on their annual journey. Open-net pen farms release harmful waste into the ocean that is lethal to the wild salmon forced to swim through it. Now, the salmon must battle against the human-made destruction of their habitat, and many Nations are advocating for change and creating calls of action to protect salmon for future generations.

As the young salmon journey from their gravel nests to the open ocean, readers learn about the life cycle of wild salmon, the effects of open-net pen fish farms, and the role of salmon as a keystone species.

Boldly illustrated with gorgeous Northwest Coast formline art, rhythmic poetry combines with supportive nonfiction content to illuminate the struggles faced by wild salmon populations.

Related Themes and Standards:

• Life Cycles
• Structures and processes related to survival
• Interconnectedness of living organisms
• Habitat destruction and conservation issues
• SEL: caring for nature, respect for tradition/heritage

STEM Ideas:

• Have students create a public service poster that could be displayed where salmon is sold, or script and record a video that could be shared on the class or school website.
• Have students engineer a way for salmon to get upstream in spite of a dam that has been constructed. Have them build a model using recyclable or natural materials.
• Students can create a model salmon habitat taking into consideration everything the salmon need to survive. Then have them pick a “habitat change” card (drought, dam is built, river has been rerouted, etc.) from a deck and re-engineer the habitat to help the salmon survive.
• Discuss the importance of clean water, reiterating how fish farming contaminates the water source. Have students engineer and investigate how water filters can clean polluted water. (HERE is my filtration lesson you could adapt to better match the story)
• After reading about how salmon swim upstream (often up small waterfalls) to reach their home breeding grounds, have students engineer a model salmon that will travel against flowing water. They could drag their model with a string and test various body, fin, and tail styles.
• Have students research Turtle Island and the Indigenous Nations that rely on the salmon. Create a class book using Book Creator.

Do you have other ideas for this story? Please share! #BetterTogether