After learning about ecosystems, students in the 3rd Grade got to go to Brooklyn Bridge Park. There, they learned about how the oyster population used to be much larger, but due to pollution, the oyster population was almost completely wiped out. In the last two decades, there has been a big effort to grow the oyster population.
While on the trip, students got to learn about the anatomy of an oyster. They also learned how oysters manage to get food even though they cannot move. There were also some fun activities where students got to pretend to be different animals collecting food (bubbles being blown) using the strategies that the animals use themselves (see video).
Finally, students were able to handle real oysters. They used calipers to measure them, and looked for other water creatures that they had learned about.
The third grade got to visit the Marine Park Salt Marsh earlier this week. Students got to learn about the ecosystem that lives in the marsh, studying the water, animals, and plants living in the marsh. We even got to go down to the water and examine some little crabs that were digging in the sand.
The 5th Grade is currently working with Behind the Book, an organization dedicated to helping student transition into authors. At this session, volunteers from the organization came in to help students do research for their own science fiction stories that focused on either ghosts or time travel. Their stories were inspired by the story “Bird”, written by author Zetta Elliott.
Our school is gearing up to host our annual Black History Month Celebration. Students are preparing songs, skits, and presentations for the celebration.
After the show, parents, students, and community members are invited to the 3rd Grade African Bazaar. The Third Grade is learning about life in Africa, with a focus on Ghana. Each class has learned about the geography, ecosystems, culture, and politics of Ghana. Each year, the Third Grade decides to raise money to purchase animals in order to send them to a deserving family in Ghana. These animals will be used to produce goods such as eggs or milk which can be sold by the people in Ghana to help them raise money to purchase necessities.