Each month the Cambridge in Motion team sends a flyer with fun facts and a family newsletter to celebrate the Mass Farm to School partnership. We hope your family enjoys the fun and learning opportunities within! This month we are learning about seafood! Enjoy the fun resources, recipes, lessons and activities that keep your family exploring and thriving! Follow us on twitter @CambMotion Fun Seafood Facts! _____________________________________________ Fish don't have vocal cords, but that doesn't mean they are silent! They communicate by making sounds using other body parts, such as sonic muscles near their swim bladders, tendons in the pectoral fins, and skeletal components, which can be rubbed together to make a sound known as stridulation. Many fish swimming together is called a school! Schooling is when they all move together in the same direction, at the same speed, at the same time. If they stop to feed, they become a shoal. Shellfish really do clean the water around them! They are filter-feeders and remove particles from the water by pumping water past their filtering apparatus and capturing nutrients from the plankton they eat. They can help filter pollution from land and may be used in water quality restoration projects.  It is recommended that everyone eats two servings (or more) of seafood per week! Seafood is a major source of omega-3 fats (healthy fats) and is also rich in other nutrients such as vitamin D and selenium, high in protein, and low in saturated fat.

May Harvest of the Month Video! Watch our Cambridge in Motion monthly video series featuring the Harvest of the Month (foods that are grown locally to New England)! You'll watch our public health nutritionist bring to life some fun facts, make a quick snack, and give a nutrition or cooking tip! Watch May Video!

Joke of the Month Q: How many tickles does it take to get an octopus to laugh? A: ten-tickles!

Videos & Family Learning!

(1) Sustainable or Not? Look up any fish through FishWatch and learn if it is a sustainable choice. This site explains why a fish is/isn't sustainable and is a great learning tool! (2) MA Seafood Availability Chart: Find out which seafood options are in season and super abundant so you can make the freshest choices! Also helpful is this one-page Northeast Guide to sustainable choices by Monterray Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch! (3) Sea to School Video: Traces the seafood on a cafeteria tray all the way back to the fisherman who caught it. Great for upper elementary audiences, it addresses many important themes from the history of the fishing industry in New England to the environmental issues behind fishing regulations!

For Teachers!

(1) Exploring Sustainable Seafood (Grades 3-5): Use this lesson from National Geographic where students create a game board using a sustainable seafood guide. They play a game to explore why some seafood is considered sustainable and how choosing sustainable seafood can have a positive impact on the environment.  (2) A Day in the Life of a Lobster Fisherman (K-5): Check out this photo series of a day in the life of a lobster fisherman to learn how they bring lobsters to shore! There is a whole series to see, the mussel fisherman, salmon fisherman, fishmonger, and more!

Eat Fish for Healthy Fats!

You've likely heard that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your health. But DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in particular goes straight to your head! Brain and nervous system tissues are partly made up of fat, and research suggests these tissues have a special preference for DHA. When we eat enough DHA over our lives, research shows improved memory, improved learning ability, and reduced rates of cognitive decline. To get the most brain benefits of DHA, you need to eat enough DHA-rich foods regularly. It's recommended to eat two 4-ounce servings of fish per week. Oily fish such as wild salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, herring, and farmed trout are great catches with DHA to offer! When you get cooking, think broiling or grilling for healthier methods and skip the deep frying except on rare occasions. Enjoy more fish that have less of an environmental impact and have less mercury, such as sardines and wild Alaskan salmon.

Food Waste Tip of the Month Did you know that around 1/3 of all food produced globally goes to waste? That's a lot of money (and resources) down the drain! Food Saving Tip: Move things that need to be eaten first (i.e., they will go bad first) to the front of the fridge. This way you're more likely to see them and eat them before they go bad. Also, you could try an "eat first" bin. Anything that needs to get eaten quickly is placed in this bin (at the front of the fridge) and you'll remember to enjoy it.

Delicious Recipes! Try this Baked Cod & Veggie Packets for the perfect grilling recipe! Try this tasty Tilapia & Bell Pepper Tacos recipe for a fish night your kids will love! Try these Tasty Tuna Cakes for a new twist on canned tuna that the kids will love! Try this Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon for a fish dish that will please everyone at the table! This Simple Baked Cod & Tomatoes recipe will be your favorite weeknight dinner - just add a grain to complete the meal! Amp up your tuna game with this Summery Tuna Salad! Children's Book Spotlight A Different Pond Written by Bao Phi Illustrated by Thi Bui For grades K-4 "A Different Pond is an unforgettable story about a simple event - a long-ago fishing trip. As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam."

Click Here to download our Harvest of the Month Family Newsletter!

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