What would you do if you found a frog, a box turtle, or a millipede in your classroom? Students at St. Mary School Swormville were elated to discover these creatures, (and their many features!) when they visited the grade 1 & 2 SMS Science classes over the past several weeks.
Miss Rebecca Balk from the Buffalo Zoo Outreach Education Program provided a unique hands-on learning experience when she visited Mrs. Kristy Witkowski's classes, each time bringing a different LIVE animal, as well as numerous touchable biofacts & props including eggs, skins, sheds, nests, & more!
Miss Rebecca spoke with the students about the life cycles of the different types of animals she brought, whether they are classified as reptiles, birds, amphibians, or mammals, and how different animals' unique adaptations help them to survive. Students also discussed environmental and conservation topics in relation to the animal classes.
The program culminated with a field trip to the Buffalo Zoo this past week. As it was a rainy weekday, our students practically had to zoo to themselves, and really enjoyed their interactions with the various animals on exhibit! Additionally, students had the opportunity to touch pelts from a polar bear, river otter & snow leopard. They observed feathers, eggs, turtle shells & the skull of a polar bear, and also touched a live chinchilla and snake!
Thank you to the Buffalo Zoo for providing this amazing program to our students! We love how Miss Rebecca’s visits have helped to further pique our students’ interests in science, biology, zoology, & our natural world by offering an opportunity to get hands-on with so many incredible animals!
Click here to see more photos of this wonderful outreach program & the students' field trip
