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In class I watched a video called Caine’s Arcade.  he made a whole

arcade out of cardboard.  My teacher challenged us to make arcade games out of cardboard like Caine.  Some kids made games that rolled balls into holes.  Others made games that hit people down.  I made a soccer game where you flick the ball with your fingers to get points.  There was also a defender.  If you hit the defender with the ball you lose three points.

On my game I put foamy paper over the cardboard for fun but cardboard works just as well.  What kind of game would you make?  How would you make your game?

Do you know what a smolt is?

Smolt are silver young salmon about one to six inches long.  They weigh less than four ounces.  Their parr marks have faded and they are pale.

Smolt migrate from fresh water to salt water.   They travel to the ocean to find food.  Smolt eat plankton, fish eggs, shrimp and herring.

However, smolt are eaten by dolphins, salmon sharks, and orcas.  Birds and other fish also eat them.

One thing that is interesting about the smolt is that they migrate towards salt water by following the water current.  It reminds me of a water slide.

It sounds to me like it is a continuous banquet on the water slide to the ocean.

Do you want to learn about fry and parr?

Fry are twice the size of alevin. When the yolk sac is all used up the bottom of the fry becomes silver.  They length is now about 3-4 cm and they have teeth, scales, and fins.  When they develop black Marks they are called parr.  The parr marks help camouflage them.

Fry and parr swim away from their redd to find food.  They now eat insects, plankton, and fish eggs. They still hide for larger fish and birds eat them.

Fry use their swim bladder for the first time to move in the water.  Fry form schools (groups) and swim together to look like a bigger fish.

Now you know about fry and parr.

The next stage in the life cycle of salmon is the alevin.  Do you want to learn about it?

Alevin are about one inch long.  They have a tiny tail and no fins when they hatch.  A yolk sac is attached to their belly.

They live in a redd (nest) with rocks and woody debris because they need to hide from predators to survive.

Do you know how alevin get their food?  Alevin get their food from the yolk sac on the underside of the alevin’s body. The alevin grow quickly as it gets nutrients from its yolk sac.

Fish and birds are alevin’s predators.  The blue herons scoop them up with their beaks.

Different types of salmon have different looking alevins.  No matter how they look, they rock.

The first stage in the life cycle of salmon is the egg.  The egg is about the size of a pea.  It is soft and an orangish – red color.  The eggs have two black dots that are the eyes.

The eggs need to be in cool, clean water.  They are laid by the female in a redd (a nest).  Trees along the stream provide shade to keep water cool and they help stop erosion.  The eggs are hidden in rocky gravel to protect them from predators.

Each egg contains an embryo.  There is a yolk sax attached to each embryo.  The yolk sac holds yolk which is the embryo’s food.

The salmon’s predators are birds, like ducks.  Other fish also like trout.   Humans eat the salmon eggs.

Only 3 out of 3,000 salmon eggs survive to become adult salmon.  That is why the salmon lays many eggs.

I am doing the Battle of the Books.  I am on a team and the name is Bookcraft (like Minecraft but with books).  For third grade we read eight books.  In the Battle of the Books, we answer questions about those eight books.  I am most excited to read the books Who was Neil Armstrong? and Dear Mr. Henshaw.  I hope we win.

I am learning about salmon.  The life cycle is egg, aleven, fry, parr, smolt, and adult. Did you know that salmon will do any thing to lay eggs where they were born?  There are six types of salmon Chum,Sockeye, pink, Steel head,  Chinook,Coho. salmon lay their eggs in the gravel they die not that long after they lay their eggs. but the steel head can do it twice.  Salmon are cool

I am thankful for my family, friends, a house, food, water and a lot more. I am thankful for my family because they take care of me and buy me stuff. They also help me with school. I am thankful for my friends because they let me play with them and they are also very fun. I am thankful for a house because I live in it and it has a roof to keep me from rain. I am thankful for food and water because you can eat it or drink and you need it to survive.