Why are fish so smart? Because they stay in schools!

(Karen Marks, TPWD Aquatic Education Manager)

Introduce your students or youth group to the life-long thrill of fishing, and promote positive relationships among students, families & staff.

TPWD Aquatic Education offers free training ~ even a novice angler can teach the basics. Educators, after school staff, parents, youth group leaders, park and camp staff interested in teaching the basics of fishing in their communities are invited to participate in our FREE and FUN workshops held throughout the state. Workshops typically last 4-6 hours, and teachers receive SBEC credit.

Once you are certified as a volunteer instructor, you may order free supplies for your students, including literature, recognition certificates and fish pins; and you may borrow equipment (where available).

Sounds fun, I don’t have any water at my school.

No water? No problem! The Angler Education program can be taught indoors or outdoors. The curriculum offers fun and hands-on activities for students.  It is ideal for grades 3 - 12. The Basic or Advanced fishing lessons and activities can be taught over a period of several weeks or in one afternoon; and include knot tying, casting,  equipment and basic tackle assembly, fish ID and habitats, and safety, regs and ethics.  

Some schools like Hutsell Elementary in Katy ISD (near Houston) have been using the program for almost ten years. They incorporate fishing into their art, science and PE programs and then host a family fishing day.

Fishing for college scholarships.

The TPWD Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens is the official host for the Texas State-Fish Art Contest. The contest is part of a conservation education program designed to spark the imaginations of students while providing valuable lessons about fish and the importance of conserving Texas' aquatic resources. This is a nationwide art contest sponsored by Wildlife Forever, a national conservation organization. Students in grades 4 through 12 in public, private or home schools are invited to submit a drawing of an officially recognized state fish and a one-page essay on its behavior, habitat or conservation. Students in K-3 may also submit a drawing; the essay is not required for this age group. Winning Texas entries are forwarded to Wildlife Forever's headquarters in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, to compete for national awards.

The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) hosts an annual tournament where kids ages 6-17 can compete for a total of nine college scholarships in $20,000 and $50,000 increments. Each kid who registers for the tournament is eligible for a bonus drawing that will net one lucky youth a $20,000 college scholarship even if the participant never wets a line or enters a single fish during the entire tournament! The tournament takes place all along the Texas coast each summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Check our Calendar for Angler Education Instructor Workshops in your area or contact us by email at education@tpwd.state.tx.us

Cool School

Learn all about a cool school of fish! Students will learn about fish anatomy, food webs and some really fun "did you knows" about Texas fish. Jump on into this topic and have fun!

Print "Cool School!" You may print and distribute this pdf of the article for classroom use.

Student Research Page This web page is for your students, with links to activities, video clips and related web sites to guide students' research.

Background for Teachers Learn more about this topic.

Vocabulary - definitions and context These definitions include a context sentence to aid understanding.

Activities and Lesson Plans From discussion questions to fun activities, try these supplements to your curriculum to engage students.

Project WILD Activities Activities suited for this topic.