NILES Teachers use wetlands to build labs

The labs will fit in with the curriculums of earth and space science.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Although teachers at Niles Middle School had no say in where the new school was built, they will have some say in how the surrounding land is used.
The school, which opened in the fall, is in a wooded setting on Brown Street, which is connected to wetlands. With so much vegetation, wildlife and opportunity so close, teachers decided to make the most of the resources.
"It's literally right at our doorstep," said Principal Robert Marino. "The teachers decided they would be able to use those wetlands to tie in with the curriculums for earth and space science."
Learning labs
By spring, some 700 pupils at the school will be able to use new outdoor learning labs, which will focus on four primary stations, Marino said.
"There will be no building constructed," he said. "But there will be stations where the children can observe the surroundings and learn."
The stations -- one each for wetlands, bird observation, weather and astronomy -- will allow pupils to observe, track and study many things, including the migratory patterns of birds and celestial objects.
The labs will meet many of the new learning objectives included in the state's academic standards, explained science teacher Gaye Breegle.
"These labs will meet the criteria for all six Ohio Academic Instructional Content standards," she said. "It will cover life sciences, physical sciences, earth and space sciences, science and technology, scientific inquiry and scientific ways of knowing."
The labs will also let teachers use other groups to help pupils learn about wetlands in a natural habitat. Breegle said plans are to contact the Ohio Audubon Society and the Trumbull County Soil and Conservation League to expand the lessons and show pupils the applications of their studies in the real world.
Another highlight of the area will be a succession plot, Breegle said. A portion of land next to the wetlands will be blocked off, and no one will be allowed to disturb it, she said.
"We will take notes, take photographs and watch the wetlands eventually take over this plot of land," Breegle said.
30-year project
But neither she nor her pupils will see the final results, because the succession plot is a 30-year project. Still, she said, the prospect of having future generations still use the land and the stations is exciting for everyone.
"This is truly hands-on teaching," she said. "It doesn't get any better than this. When you work hands-on with something, it makes it yours. They will really retain this information."
Funding for the stations has come primarily in the form of grants, Marino noted, including one for $800 from the Warren Chamber Foundation. Marino and Breegle wrote most of the grant applications.
"Gaye and I went out shortly after school started and walked the wetlands," Marino said. "From there, we decided what we wanted to do and started applying for the grants."
The school also received a $1,000 Wal-Mart Foundation Grant, and the school's booster group, which comprises parents, is also raising funds, he added.
Equipment supplied
More than $1,100 has already been spent on constructing the stations and supplying them with tools such as calculators, telescopes and more, Marino said.
Once the stations are completed, he added, all pupils in sixth through eighth grades will be able to use them.
Breegle said most of the stations will be operational by spring, but he noted they will not be used only during those months.
"This will be a year-round project," she said.
slshaulis@vindy.com