Pupils use land lab as learning center

Kids will be visiting the land lab the rest of this month.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Pupils in the Girard schools took learning outside the classroom this week and into nearby woods, streams and walking trails.
They spent time exploring and using the newly constructed land lab in Liberty Memorial Park. The school district has set up 10 science-based work stations throughout the park.
Superintendent Joseph Jeswald said the stations cover topics such as weather testing, wildlife, water testing, soil testing and plants. He said various grade levels will be responsible for individual work stations, but pupils throughout the school district will ultimately experience the land lab in its entirety.
Kids from all six first-grade classrooms at Prospect Elementary arrived at the park early Tuesday. The pupils were given a tour of all land lab stations, taken on a nature walk, then returned to the station that deals with gardening. The first-graders will be in charge of the gardening station.
Each pupil, with the assistance of high school students and teachers, dropped to their knees and planted a marigold. Joanne Carmello, Prospect Elementary principal, said experiences in the park will be a part of classroom lessons.
"Our main goal is for the children to do scientific experiments with hands-on experiences then come back to the classroom and integrate that with math, science and language," she said.
Another group
About 100 yards and several work stations away, seventh- and eighth-graders from Girard Junior High were knee-deep in creek water checking the pH level and searching for small creatures living in and near the creek.
The pupils, with the assistance of Amy Reeher of Trumbull County's Soil and Water Conservation District, spread out tarp and nets in preparation for the testing efforts. Reeher said the pupils were able to find and identify a list of creatures from the creek including crayfish, stoneflies, nymphs, caddisflies and mayflies.
Jeswald said the ultimate goal is for the pupils to gain a greater appreciation for nature and understand how nature is important to mankind, and learn what role humans play in shaping nature.
He said some pupils seem to be getting the message. Some of those first-graders have vowed to have parents bring them to the park to maintain the land lab's gardening section through the summer.
Jeswald said one needs only to look at the learning potential of the various stations in the lab to see its significance. A station dealing with historical traces of the area, he said, will show pupils the importance of the river in creating the city. The station dealing with wildlife will help pupils identify local creatures and their roles in the environment.
Jeswald said grants from FirstEnergy and the Regional Chamber totaling $3,100 made the land lab possible. Each school in the district, he said, also contributed $400 to the effort.
jgoodwin@vindy.com