Students will encounter a puzzling spring fishing phenomenon in their community and develop focused, investigable research questions about how one local fish responds to one type of water in the spring. They will refine questions through peer feedback and craft a clear hypothesis with rationale to guide the rest of their investigation.

Students will design a clear, grade-appropriate investigation plan to answer their focused research question about one local fish and one spring water type. They will select a methodology that matches their question, identify variables or data sources, plan systematic data collection with quality checks, and revise their plan after structured peer feedback before beginning Phase 3 data collection.

Students will systematically gather and document high-quality data about one local fish and one spring water type, carefully recording conditions, observations, and any unexpected results so their later analysis is grounded in organized evidence.

Students will analyze their collected fish habitat data by creating visualizations, identifying patterns and anomalies, challenging interpretations with peers, and drafting preliminary findings that connect evidence back to their original research questions and hypotheses about spring water types.

Students will draw evidence-based conclusions about how spring water types affect local fish populations, explicitly acknowledge limitations in their investigations, generate new research questions, and present their full investigation process to an authentic audience at the Fishing Through the Seasons Fair.