St. Cloud middle schoolers learning about ecosystem through STEM fishing class: 'It's fun'

ST. CLOUD, Fla. - Mr. John Prow, an earth, space and science teacher at St. Cloud Middle School is teaching his students about Florida's ecosystem in a unique way. 

When his 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students are not buried in their books, they’re learning about the Florida ecosystem, and it’s all being taught during fishing lessons.

One by one, the student fishers grab their rods and bait and head outside to a nearby retention pond.

"It’s fun. I caught a few fish in here," said 8th grader, Grayson Pulpio. He says it makes learning a lot more fun. "It’s awesome. It’s pretty cool because not a lot of other schools and counties offer this, so that’s cool," said Pulpio.

His classmates agree.

"I have to do science. You learn about the world and the animals and the ecosystem. He teaches you that with the fish," said Fabian Ramirez.

"He teaches us the ecosystem, how there’s algae in the minnows and there’s algae in the bass. They eat the minnows the birds eat the bass, and we learned about knots for normal fishing, and we learn about different rods, and he taught us how to use main catches," said Lucy Dixon."

"I started writing lessons to make my day more interesting and for the kids. I’m really into sports and outdoors and fishing and I started writing lessons and decided to bring it in and the more I wrote, the more I saw this connection between the science we’re learning in the classroom and the fishing and nature stuff we do outside," said Prow

Prow has been working on the life science and STEM curriculum through bass fishing for nearly a decade, and finally got the OK from the district to start it up two years ago.

So far, more than 100 students have come through the program.

"I knew there were a lot of kids and families in the area and around the country into this like I am, you can see I’m crazy about this stuff, but I’m not alone. There’s lots of us and we run into them every day in the classroom and I said this could be something," said Prow.

One of the best parts? Fish Florida provided more than enough take-home equipment so these kids can take what they learned at school and use it while fishing in their spare time.

"We actually got a grant and brought home rods and tackle. I use that all the time to fish. He also teaches us a lot of knots we can use at home on any rod. I learned how to use a main caster here, and now I can use at home," said Dixon.

I want to grow it in the district. I want other schools to know there’s a ton of kids in our district and beyond that would love to do something like this built into their school day, so I hope it grows," said Prow.