Today we had a wonderful opportunity to talk with a former Columbus Zoo gorilla keeper. Mrs. McEvoy's mother-in-law, Jane, came in to speak to us about her experience working with gorillas. For 28 years Jane worked as an employee at the Columbus Zoo. About eight of her years were spent working with the gorillas. Jane came with amazing stories, information, and photographs that helped us gain insight on what it is like to work with the amazing gorilla species.
Jane told us about day-to-day duties as a gorilla keeper. She also told us that there are several gorillas that rotate on display at the Columbus Zoo. The gorillas at the Columbus Zoo have a large habitat that allows them to interact with their gorilla families. Each day the gorilla keepers give the gorillas a puzzle or activity to work on to keep their minds engaged. We learned that gorillas need to be taken care of just like humans and that human doctors actually care for gorillas if they are in need of medical attention.
One part of today's conversation that was very interesting to us was about the real Ivan that we have been reading about in the book The One and Only Ivan. Jane knew the gorilla keepers who cared for the real Ivan at Zoo Atlanta. The real Ivan just passed away in August and she read us the eulogy that was sent from Ivan's keeper and friend. It was interesting for us to learn that the real Ivan displayed very similar characteristics that Katherine Applegate uses to portray Ivan in the story.
You can read about the true story of Ivan here. I will also share the following video of the real Ivan with the fifth graders tomorrow. We have all been touched and inspired by this true story. Although we are not finished with the story yet, I truly believe that through reading The One and Only Ivan that we are learning compassion and empathy for other living beings.
We are so grateful that we had the opportunity to hear from Jane's experience today. She was so kind to take the time out of her day to share her experience with us, as well as, answer our many questions about what it is like to work with gorillas.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Skyping with a Grade 5 Canada Class
Last Thursday, we had the opportunity to Skype with a Grade 5 class from Gretna, Manitoba,
Canada as a part of the Global Read Aloud.
In order to prepare for the Skype session, we brainstormed a list of questions about The One and Only Ivan that we would like to discuss. We also discussed what we would like to say to the students from Canada. We thought it was important to tell the students that we lived near Columbus, Ohio, that we are the class of 2012, and that Wickliffe is a progressive school.
The time finally came to Skype with Ms. Young's Grade 5 class. We were super excited to see the Skype call come through on our computer. We had fun introducing ourselves to the Grade 5 students.
They shared their class mascot with us, as well as taught us hand signals to use to show whether we agree or disagree with their questions.
We took turns asking questions back and forth and shared our learning and thinking about The One and Only Ivan.
We all thought it was great to have a chance to share our learning with a class in another country. It was interesting to us to learn that the Grade 5 students in Canada are already experiencing winter weather. They thought it was interesting that in Ohio it was still warm enough to wear shorts and t-shirts. We learned that most of the students in Ms. Young's class live on farms and it is not unusual for the students to have an hour ride to and from school. It was a wonderful experience and we are hopeful to connect with another classroom this week to discuss The One and Only Ivan. The students reflected on the Skype experience on their individual KidBlogs.
Canada as a part of the Global Read Aloud.
In order to prepare for the Skype session, we brainstormed a list of questions about The One and Only Ivan that we would like to discuss. We also discussed what we would like to say to the students from Canada. We thought it was important to tell the students that we lived near Columbus, Ohio, that we are the class of 2012, and that Wickliffe is a progressive school.
The time finally came to Skype with Ms. Young's Grade 5 class. We were super excited to see the Skype call come through on our computer. We had fun introducing ourselves to the Grade 5 students.
They shared their class mascot with us, as well as taught us hand signals to use to show whether we agree or disagree with their questions.
We took turns asking questions back and forth and shared our learning and thinking about The One and Only Ivan.
We all thought it was great to have a chance to share our learning with a class in another country. It was interesting to us to learn that the Grade 5 students in Canada are already experiencing winter weather. They thought it was interesting that in Ohio it was still warm enough to wear shorts and t-shirts. We learned that most of the students in Ms. Young's class live on farms and it is not unusual for the students to have an hour ride to and from school. It was a wonderful experience and we are hopeful to connect with another classroom this week to discuss The One and Only Ivan. The students reflected on the Skype experience on their individual KidBlogs.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The One and Only Ivan
Last week we began a new read aloud, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.
The One and Only Ivan is fiction but is loosely based on a true story of a Silverback Gorilla. The cool thing about this read aloud is that we are reading it along with several other classrooms all around the world. It is a part of the Global Read Aloud which provides opportunities for students to connect with other classrooms around the globe. The students are so excited about this read aloud and potential opportunity to connect with other classrooms.
Here we are on the partipant map:
I am excited to participate in the Global Read Aloud with the students and can't wait to dive into this amazing story.
Stratford
We spent the last two days enjoying the beautiful fall weather at Stratford Ecological Center.
We were greeted by a man and a llama upon entering Stratford.
We split up into small groups and were each led by a different tour guide. Throughout the last two days we explored messages from the earth. We engaged in a variety of activities that allowed us to learn several important things about the earth, habitats, ecosystems, and interdependence.
We learned...
- Organisms perform a variety of roles within an ecosystem.
- Organisms live in habitats that fit their needs.
- Organisms need just right habitats to survive.
- Animals have different ways of living, different ways of feeding, and different defense mechanisms.
- Populations interact to obtain food energy.
At the end of each day the students spent time in a Magic Spot. The students chose a quiet spot alone where they could observe the beautiful woods around them. It was definitely one of our favorite activities of each day.
As a culminating activity, we were given an animal and had to figure out its needs in order to decide if it lives in a marsh, field, or forest habitat. Then, we participated in a mock trial because we found out that the marsh is being destroyed. Therefore, the inhabitants of the marsh land had to stand trial in front of the jury (the field and forest). The students had to decide whether or not the animals and plants that were kicked out of the marsh were able to survive in the field or forest. We learned that this is an actual problem here in Ohio and in the United States. It was a great way for the students to think about a real-world problem and apply their knowledge.
The students reflected on their learning by blogging on their KidBlog. We also documented our learning by creating a web when we returned to school this afternoon. Our trip to Stratford is a kick-off to our ecosystem study. It was a wonderful two days spent learning outside with each other. We are looking forward to returning to Stratford in the winter.
We split up into small groups and were each led by a different tour guide. Throughout the last two days we explored messages from the earth. We engaged in a variety of activities that allowed us to learn several important things about the earth, habitats, ecosystems, and interdependence.
We learned...
- Organisms perform a variety of roles within an ecosystem.
- Organisms live in habitats that fit their needs.
- Organisms need just right habitats to survive.
- Animals have different ways of living, different ways of feeding, and different defense mechanisms.
- Populations interact to obtain food energy.
At the end of each day the students spent time in a Magic Spot. The students chose a quiet spot alone where they could observe the beautiful woods around them. It was definitely one of our favorite activities of each day.
As a culminating activity, we were given an animal and had to figure out its needs in order to decide if it lives in a marsh, field, or forest habitat. Then, we participated in a mock trial because we found out that the marsh is being destroyed. Therefore, the inhabitants of the marsh land had to stand trial in front of the jury (the field and forest). The students had to decide whether or not the animals and plants that were kicked out of the marsh were able to survive in the field or forest. We learned that this is an actual problem here in Ohio and in the United States. It was a great way for the students to think about a real-world problem and apply their knowledge.
The students reflected on their learning by blogging on their KidBlog. We also documented our learning by creating a web when we returned to school this afternoon. Our trip to Stratford is a kick-off to our ecosystem study. It was a wonderful two days spent learning outside with each other. We are looking forward to returning to Stratford in the winter.
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