Project-based learning comes to Reid Middle School

 

[media-credit id=3 align=”aligncenter” width=”300″][/media-credit]PITTSFIELD – A group of Reid Middle School students sat in a circle on a classroom floor while “Dante,” a very fluffy, long-haired angora rabbit, moved cautiously around in the center, occasionally jutting his long ears up into the air.

In some ways, he looked like a handle-less dust mop in motion.

Jamie Samowitz, the youth education coordinator for the Berkshire Botanical Garden, brought the rabbit to the school as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program.

The “fiber” rabbit helped students learn the origin of fiber as well as how fiber from an animal can be processed into clothing, Ms. Samowitz said. Dante is nine months old and is the garden’s camp rabbit.

First year at Reid

While the after-school program, which features project-based learning, has been in the Pittsfield Public Schools for 11 years, this is the first time it’s being held at Reid.

The program strives to help students reach academic goals by “seeing the relevance of learning in their lives.”

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers also strive to engage and support students with different learning styles “in gaining a greater understanding of classroom content in an atmosphere that fosters creativity.”

Liz Baker, coordinator, runs all of the 21st Century programs for the district. She started talking with representatives from the Berkshire Botanical Garden and invited them to present a farm and garden program for the Reidstudents.

That special connection has, to date, provided some unique experiences for the totally engaged young students.

An in-depth learning experience

The program introduces academics through engaging projects in order to give students a rich and in-depth learning experience.

In addition, they are  helped to develop self-expression, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and positive relationships, according to information about the program.

Julia Sabourin is site coordinator for the program and was one of three grant writers for the Reid program. Gabriela Sheehan, a teacher at Reid, assists Ms. Samowitz in working with the students.

She explained how the poop from the rabbit helps fertilize it and also passed around wool from a sheep so the students could sniff and touch another source of fiber.

Learned origin of materials

The students learned about different materials and where the materials originated.

They were kind and loving with the fluffy rabbit, petting him gently and even keeping quiet so as not to scare the animal. When he first arrived, he was trembling and was, well, as scared as a rabbit.

“This is very scared little guy,” she told the students as they gently petted Dante and oohed and ahed over how adorable he was.

Ms. Samowitz gave the students a little jingle about animals to help them distinguish between friendly animals and predators.

“Eyes on the side, likes to hide,” she said. “Eyes in the front, likes to hunt.”

Thankfully, Dante’s eyes were definitely on the sides of his fluffy head.

 

(Once, when she was in Wyoming, Ms. Samowitz came close up to a mountain lion whose eyes were in the front.)

“Predators are scary and intimidating,” she told the students.

Goats came to school

The very first week of the program, Ms. Samowitz brought in her two pet dairy goats, Chica and Lucy, and students learned about the origin of milk. They made “chevre,” or cheese, from the goat milk and ate it with crackers, thus learning that cheese helps preserve milk longer.

The students appeared to love having the goats visit their classroom. That day, after the lesson, Mrs. Sheehan helped carry one of the goats out to a vehicle in the parking lot.

The Beacon visited Reid Middle School on the same day as Dante the rabbit. There was a two-part lesson.

Learned about plant propagation

In addition to learning about fiber, the other lesson involved plant propagation.

Carefully following the directions of the youth education coordinator, the students cloned plants, some of which they will eventually take home. They learned how to propagate the plants from the leaves, stems and petioles.

They took stem cuts from mint plants, which they will eventually dehydrate to make into tea; petiole cuttings from African violets; leaf cuttings from a succulent called echeveria; and tuber cuts from potatoes.

The latter, during a field trip to the Botanical Garden, will be planted in a children’s garden. When potatoes eventually form, they will be sold from a farm stand and proceeds will go toward camp scholarships at the garden.

The 21st Century programs are funded through a federal and state three-year grant.

Asked what he has liked best about the after school program to date, one student quickly answered, “I liked the goats.”