Aquarium helps Poland kids learn about life under the sea

By JORDYN GRZELEWSKI

jgrzelewski@vindy.com

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.

Plus, “They’re learning about every content area imaginable. ... There are so many activities that can be linked to the standards we are required to teach.”

Students could practice their math skills by calculating the volume of the tank, for example, or their creative writing by composing an essay about life underwater, Masucci said.

The fish tank also will be used to start “Aqua Dogs,” part of the school’s “Big Dog, Little Dog” program that connects high-school mentors to elementary students. The older students will help younger ones to manage the tank and learn more about the saltwater environment.

Masucci first envisioned the idea of getting a tank for the school a few years ago, he said, when his son became interested in aquatic life and persuaded his parents to let him get an aquarium at home.

The tank and its contents were made possible by donations from the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, Briarfield Assisted Living and several individuals. Harbor Pet Center also has been helping the school manage the aquarium.