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Year 2000-2001
Bishop Woods School
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Grades 3 and 4: Kathy Ayr
Ms. Ayr’s unit, “Garbage Collectors in the Web of Life: Scavengers and Decomposers,” shows her deep understanding of both ecosystems and children. She states, “In the human community, the word garbage calls to mind images of rotting food, smelly garbage trucks and gulls flying over a crowded landfill. Yet in the diverse animal world, garbage has no negative stereotype. It is simply a food source… . If children can see that one species needs a variety of plants and animals to survive, their appreciation of biodiversity will be established. Learning about biodiversity through action based activities is especially appealing when the food chain is astonishingly gross and the animals are unique.”
 “I was impressed by the high level of enthusiasm among my students. ‘Can I look at the microscope?’ ‘Can I open a drawer?’ Certainly, no one’s asking for recess… . They asked many ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. We didn’t get their usual withdrawal. We didn’t need to use our strategies [for good behavior] often… . Special Ed students got the word, ‘decomposers’ and retained it. It was very rewarding and unexpected… . These kids have become lifelong contemplators on two things: We have to become more careful where we put…toxins, garbage, plastic…and, Life and death.”
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Library Media Specialist: Jean Lowery
As a long time bird enthusiast, Dr. Lowery had no difficulty choosing the topic for her unit, “Backyard Birds.” The Introduction to her unit says, “our students are inner city children who, generally speaking, have not had the opportunity to explore the natural world… . Our goal is to have the students become more aware of the diversity of wildlife in their neighborhoods and on the school grounds. Birds are probably the most common wildlife our children see. Accordingly, this unit will allow the students to investigate the backyard birds of New Haven while attempting to devise a bird identification system that will be useful to others.” In addition to using the Lab with a class of borrowed 2nd graders, she watched other classes use the BioAction Lab.
“Their teachers were so overwhelmed by the students’ focus. There was obviously no such thing as a discipline problem. It was because they were so involved in what they were doing. It’s so outside the realm of their everyday experience. To actually be able to pick up and touch…in museums, they always say, ‘Don’t touch!’ We were encouraging them to touch, and they’re tactile learners… . [My second graders] really liked the exploratory part of it… . They liked being encouraged to open any drawer they wanted and taking out anything to investigate. At that age, it’s the inquisitiveness that’s the thing…the new knowledge, the discovery is where they’re going.”
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