Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon are two sturgeon species that can be found in coastal waters, estuaries, and major rivers along the East Coast of the United States. Because of overfishing for sturgeon eggs which were processed into caviar, shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon have been listed throughout their range under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The SCUTES (Students Collaborating to Undertake Tracking Efforts for Sturgeon) program is the collaboration between NOAA Fisheries (NMFS), sturgeon researchers, teachers, and informal educators to bring more awareness about sturgeon and the ESA to the classroom. NMFS has worked with educators to develop lesson plans and activities relating to sturgeon. These lesson plans meet the National Education Standards, and cover a variety of subjects including Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Math. These lesson plans are generally for grades 3-12, but they can be adapted to fit your students’ needs. Teachers are invited to borrow SCUTES kits that contain lesson plans and activity supplies from NMFS and SCUTES partners.

The goal of this workshop is to introduce new SCUTES educators to the educational kits and elementary level activities. Educators will participate in the activities, and are welcome to provide any constructive feedback. Each teacher will receive a SCUTES cd that contains all the lesson plans and various handouts.