As our classroom transformed from a building into a boat, our personas merged with it from students to ecologists.
On Thursday, October 11th, the entire 9th grade class was given the opportunity to channel our inner Darwins. We all participated in an ecology trip to SoundWaters in Stamford, Connecticut that directly relates to our current unit in biology. SoundWaters’ mission is to “protect the Long Island Sound through experiential education.”
After learning about different relationships and interactions between organisms and their respective environments during class, SoundWaters seemed like the perfect place to implement what we have been studying for the past month into a real-world experience.
For our first ecological endeavors, we were split up into two different groups: one group would go wading in the water while the other examined different organisms inside the SoundWaters facilities.
My group went wading first. To match our recently-undertaken ecologist personas, we were given waders to wear, essentially tall rain boots that reached our stomachs. We also used large nets to catch any organisms we found living in the water. Though we weren’t too successful from the start, after a little while of walking up and down the shore, we were able to find, catch, and release Pipefish, Silversides, and Atlantic Grass Shrimp.
After wading, my group went inside to examine organisms that had been caught by previous Soundwaters excursions. After a mini lesson on how to handle the different species, we rotated around the room, looking at and handling Diamond Back and Painted Turtles, Horseshoe Crabs, Spider Crabs, Sea Urchins, and more. The most popular animal among the group were the turtles due to their petite size and cute exterior, although their sharp claws did tend to scratch you when they were held up!
After a long morning, a lunch break outside fueled us as we prepared for our next adventure. This experience, called Education Sails, allowed us to discover Long Island Sound’s ecology and biology while sailing aboard the Schooner SoundWaters. We helped the crew mates raise the sails and examined some sea life that we encountered along its journeys. We also investigated how plants and animals survive environmental changes, examined macro and microscopic organisms, and more.
I personally believe that it is important to not only learn in a traditional classroom setting but also by incorporating hands-on activities that provide a more three-dimensional experience. One of the best ways to gain knowledge about something is by getting out in the real world and experimenting, as opposed to simply sitting and listening to a lecture.
This trip supplied us with resources to utilize and take advantage of our knowledge, resources which would never be available in a classroom in New York City. The ability to not only see the appearances of these organisms, but to observe their habits and adaptations first-hand allowed us to develop a wider range of abilities along with a deeper confidence in those skills.
When asked about her opinions on utilizing resources both inside the classroom and outside of it, Ms. Wolf said, “I think they are both equally important. When you step outside the classroom, you see ecology come to life. You see interactions of organisms in the real world and get to have a real experience. Inside the classroom, you learn information that can help you make the most out of your experiences and that help to supplement your experiments.”
Our IDEAL Day at SoundWaters, filled with science and fun, truly provided a real-world learning experience unlike any ordinary biology class, making for an unforgettable day.