Discovery Elementary - WKTV Journal

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By Erin Albanese

One must think like a big cat when designing a tiger habitat. Where do you like to sleep and play? What keeps you safe? What keeps people safe while watching you? What keeps zookeepers safe in feeding you?

Kentwood’s Discovery Elementary School students in the district’s gifted and talented program, PEAKS, considered the needs of lions and tigers and bears and other zoo animals recently while designing 3-D model exhibits for the new STEM class, Exhibit Design, a John Ball Zoo education program.

“You guys are going to be engineers,” said lead instructor Megan Burkhart, while passing out design kits with animal figurines, miniature structures and habitat pieces. The fourth-graders, working in groups, considered those who would be affected by their designs.

“We need to take into consideration the feelings of the keeper, the animals and the visitors,” student Madison Duffey said.

From left, Owen van der Veen, M.J. Smith and Calvin Ranger work on putting components of a good habitat together

New Tools to View Zoo

Burkhart said the class gives them new perspectives on what goes into design that meets the needs of all users. “When students come to the zoo and they are looking at exhibits, they don’t ultimately think about what went into the exhibit,” she said. “I love that it gives them the opportunity to engineer things themselves. As they go through the zoo after they’ve done all of this, it gives them a new appreciation and insights into all of the new exhibits.”

“Another goal is to show them the variety of jobs at the zoo. A lot of kids think the only job at the zoo is zoo-keeping, but there is a lot more we have here to offer; things they can ultimately do with their future,” Burkhart said

Fourth-grade science standards include animal adaptations, said teacher Joe Westra. The class, which involves biology and engineering, ties in well with new Michigan Science Standards. “Everything about this is consistent with best practice in science education,” he said.

Students said making a zoo habitat is harder than first appears.

Alexander Grzesiak and Madison Duffey create a bear exhibit

“If takes a long time and a lot of hard work, and you can’t do it by yourself,” said Reign Baker about coming up with a design. “If the animals don’t have what they need, they cannot survive.”

The zoo education program also offers the new STEM course, Penguineering, which challenges students to consider ideal habitats through the eyes of a Magellanic penguin and to create a nesting habitat.

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

Kentwood Public School’s Discovery Elementary fifth-graders are growing up –– with leafy, green plants on their Tower Garden. Bib and gourmet lettuce, basil, rainbow chard, peppers and cucumbers are sprouting nearly as fast as the students’ scientific knowledge.

The Tower Garden, a product of the company Juice Plus, is beginning to flourish with its first round of produce – each student has a plant –- in the corner of teacher Amanda Barbour’s classroom. The project gives students a chance to try their green thumbs at indoor farming, as part of the district’s gifted and talented Parents, Educators and Kids = Success (PEAKS) program. They regularly measure and test the pH balance of their plants, keeping track of their data and observations in journals on Google Docs.

Nathan Moxey keeps close track of his pepper plant. (Photo courtesy of School News Network)

Their end goal is to support a claim based on fifth-grade science standards: “I can support an argument that plants get materials they need for growth primarily through air and water.”

The vertical system grows plants sans soil with an aeroponics system, an advanced form of hydroponics. Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment rather than soil. Research shows the method uses less space, less water and yields more food faster than traditional farming, making it perfect for urban farming.

“It’s a new experience to grow a plant without water,” said fifth-grader Sam Nguyen.

Nathan Moxey shared his journal of reflections and observations about his growing pepper plant. He’s working to form a conclusion for the question, “If you farm for a living, is it better to use a Tower Garden for growing?”

Students worked to raise money for the Tower Garden (Photo courtesy of School News Network)

Students Made it Happen

Students visited Koetsier’s Greenhouse, in Grand Rapids Township, to learn about different farming methods. They began raising money in September to fund their project.

“From day one, the kids were in on how we were going to approach this,” said Barbour, who teaches fifth-grade PEAKS classes with Jennifer Tidd. “The students researched everything.”

They studied the technology the tower uses, created a business plan and raised the $2,200 through a Go Fund Me page and a Kentwood Education Association grant.

The harvest will conclude with “salad day,” when students will enjoy the fruits – or veggies – of their labor.

“That’s going to be really fun because we can all get together and eat the salad,” said Oummu Kabba. Added her classmate Sam, “Our work will have finally paid off!”

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.