Resource 1 - Another Person's Treasure (PDF, 74 kb)
Resource 2 - Web Resources
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Purpose: To communicate the value of longnose gar to others, while internalizing that value individually, and learning some basic advertising principles.
Outcomes: Students will be able to create an effective advertisement/YouTube video extolling the virtues of longnose gar to their key audience, the anglers of Ontario, and effectively present it or promote it on YouTube.
Subject: Science, Biology, Drama, Language
Group size: 4 - 6 students/group
Site: Classroom; sites of choice for any videos
Time: 45 minutes plus research and presentation time
Supplies: Resource pages/sheets, voice recorders/video cameras (optional), additional materials required for ad or video (students' choice)
Before the activity: Copy resource pages if required.
References: This Activity: Resource 1 and Resource 2; Activity 2, Resource 2
A QUICK LOOK
Students discover that longnose gar have a rather unsavoury reputation among some anglers. In small groups, students will then research the various values of longnose gar (intrinsic, ecological, biodiversity, human use), and use that information to create an advertisement (print, radio, video) focused on changing the minds of those anglers. The ads can be performed or posted on YouTube. If posted, efforts should be made to create a wide audience for their videos, as well as reaching out to the angling community specifically.
READY, SET, GO!
Post the phrase, "One person's trash is another person's treasure." Discuss the meaning of the phrase, taking examples from the class. Indicate that the longnose gar, one of the fish in the Kid’s Fish Art Contest, is a trash/treasure fish.
Read Resource Sheet 1 to the class, or have students read it themselves. Explain that it was written by a long-time angler in an on-line fishing forum, and could be representative of many fishermen and -women.
If students have been researching the gar for Activity 2, ask for other reasons why gars may be considered a 'trash fish' (rough or coarse fish are other names for fish anglers don't like to catch). Possible reasons include their odd, ancient appearance, their occurrence in warm, 'swampy' water that may have an odour when stirred up, their tough, outer covering, stories of their being poisonous (only the eggs are), limited knowledge of how to catch and prepare them, or their reputation as a voracious predator of smaller fish that could instead be food for more popular muskie, bass or walleye.
Ask if wasting fish on the bank is proper behaviour in any case. Indicate that, since no native or naturalized species should be wasted or removed without due cause, their task, in groups of 4-6, is to convince anglers who do not like or respect longnose gar to at least leave them alone or return them to the water, or at best, fish for them as a proper Ontario sportfish.
Since it would be too hard to introduce each angler to gar the way that Team M&M was, they are to come up with an advertisement in print, audio or video format that extols the virtues of longnose gar. They can choose to use any reason, or combination of reasons, for saving and/or promoting gar, understanding that an effective ad is going to be relatively short and focused. They may also choose YouTube as a format, and upload their videos. They can use any resources from Activity 2 or Resource Sheet 2, or additional web research, and need to be aware of proper advertising approaches, what makes a good YouTube video, and ways to extend the reach and life of their uploaded videos, should they choose to do so.
Provide enough in-class or out-of-class time for the groups to research and produce their ads/videos, and view them in-class before the whole group. The class should then choose the best messages, and find ways to reach out to local anglers in areas where longnose gar occur, using YouTube or other methods. You might want to contact a local angling club and get them involved in your project. Contact the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for help in finding a club near you.
