Lessons abound in Poland school's new aquarium

POLAND

Personal responsibility, the practice of democracy, and how ecosystems work are just a few of the lessons teachers and administrators at Union Elementary hope to teach with a new addition to the school’s library.

The school recently acquired a 55-gallon saltwater aquarium that is home to several fish, hermit crabs, snails, starfish and coral. Students help take care of the ecosystem and get to manage it by voting on new additions to its aquatic life (most recently, a yellow foxface rabbitfish named “Big Dog”).

The aquarium and its inhabitants also will be incorporated into lessons via a live-stream video in classrooms.

“I am optimistic that this will teach our students here to appreciate nature and to understand that having a pet of any kind requires commitment,” said Principal Michael Masucci.

Read more about this new teaching tool in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.