Zoo Presents Challenges; Students Create Solutions

Students work with Stephanie Chandler, the Zoo’s Behavioral Husbandry Manager, to build an enrichment wall for hyacinth macaws. Through Zoo-nique, a partnership between the Akron Zoo and the NIHF STEM Middle School, 5th and 7th graders have the opportunity to practice communication and problem-solving skills within a group setting both in the classroom and while they are at the Zoo.

“At the Akron Zoo, we want students to take away a connection to the animals and the environment. We believe that the only way people will make changes for the betterment of our world is to feel a true connection with wild things and wild places.”

- Carrie Bassett, STEM Coordinator and Curriculum Coordinator, Akron Zoo

The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation funded “Creating Critical Thinkers” through “Zoo-nique” a partnership with Akron Zoological Park and the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) STEM Middle School to create experiential learning opportunities for middle school learners. Building on two years of success with a 5th grade “Animal Enrichment Challenge,” the Zoo expanded its initiative to include both the 5th grade challenge and, for the first time, the 7th Grade “Climate Change Challenge” during the 2019-2020 spring semester.

The purpose of both programs is to involve learners in solving real problems related to work at the zoo. Each experience requires students to think deeply about an issue, research, analyze, and create solutions to be presented to a real audience. The challenges are open-ended and multi-layered and encourage complex thinking across a variety of important subjects, like science, animal welfare, and design.

“We want to enhance classroom learning with real world applications for the curriculum,” says Carrie Bassett, STEM and Curriculum Coordinator, Akron Zoo, explaining that NIHF teachers and zoo educators work together to define objectives for the projects. “We believe learners complete these projects understanding new facts as well as having practiced important life skills such as critical thinking, budgeting, and teamwork.”

Designed as a semester-long project, Zoo-nique was in process in spring, 2020, when Governor Mike DeWine closed all schools in the state of Ohio to slow the spread of COVID-19. Due to the extraordinary circumstances, Zoo educators were forced to modify the program, but Ms. Bassett explains, progress continued during the shutdown. The following is an update on the work that has taken place.

Fifth Grade Animal Enrichment Challenge

A snow leopard cub in a hammock built by students last year playing with student designed enrichment balls.

To properly care for animals, the Zoo provides “enrichment” (such toys, scents, etc.) to encourage animals to behave as they would in the wild. The fifth-grade challenge is to design such tools for a variety of animals — this year that included Andean condors, electric eels, naked mole rats, Speke’s gazelles, and waterfowl. Learners work in groups to brainstorm and create enrichment products. They present their prototypes to the Zoo’s wildlife experts who evaluate their work and select the top 10 designs. Students then build these products, present them to the Zoo, and visit the park to observe the animals using the new toys.

Ms. Bassett helps students build a woven hammock out of fire hose for the snow leopards. She says it is important for students to observe and understand the behavior of animals and the design of the exhibit space before they create enrichment. For example, the enrichment designed for a grizzly bear would not be the same kind of enrichment given to a ring-tailed lemur.

This year, 110 fifth graders divided into 19 groups and collaborated as professional scientists or engineers would do. Prior to the school closure, students had completed in-class work and three of six planned Zoo touches, including an introductory Skype session and a field trip to observe animals in the Zoo environment. Each group also created a video to pitch their enrichment design to Zoo staff.

(Follow the link to watch students make their pitches! )

In their videos, students include information about their concept, building materials, and budget, and ask any lingering questions they may have about the animals or their habitats. Some of the enrichment designs students proposed this spring include: (1) a hollow log that dispenses food when struck by Speke’s gazelle horns; (2) a wooden ball rubbed with scent to attract naked mole rats; (3) a food dispensing tug-of-war ball for electric eels; (4) a paper carcass for Andean condors to tear like prey; and (5) a hollowed log for waterfowl to forage. Prior to the school closure, Zoo staff sent comments to each group answering their questions and providing constructive feedback on their plans.

“The Zoo staff have always been really impressed with the creativity of the enrichment designs the learners create,” Ms. Bassett says. “The students really do a good job of taking into consideration the natural behaviors of the animals as well as their needs and any restrictions.”  

Zoo-Nique had to cancel the 5th grade Presentation of Learning competition when Zoo staff would have selected the winning designs; the session to build toys; and a final trip to the Zoo for students to see animals using their new toys. Instead, teachers encouraged 5th graders to complete projects at home before the end of the school year. They will forward final submissions to the Zoo staff who will then select winners.  

Seventh Grade Climate Change Challenge 

Also working in teams, the 7th graders completed the initial steps of their challenge, but they had just begun group work when schools closed. The project asked the 97 students to redesign informational signage in the “Legends of the Wild” section of the park where endangered animals like Andean condors, jaguars, and snow leopards live.

The existing signage, which was installed in 2005, presents animal lore as opposed to the conservation message that is becoming an increasing priority for accredited zoos across the United States, Ms. Bassett explains. The Zoo challenged the 7th graders to create signs that describe the animals, their native habitats, and the effects of climate change on the animals’ natural environments. The goal is to inspire Zoo visitors to help curb climate change, an emergent cause of extinction and wild animal endangerment. Similar to the 5th grade project, Zoo staff evaluate and choose top designs to construct into new signs for the park.

Ms. Bassett explains that the 7th graders work more independently than the 5th graders and the project was designed with three touches between students and the Zoo. Two were able to happen: (1) a videoconference to kick off the challenge and (2) a visit by a subset of students to photograph Zoo signs to share with classmates. The final project for the 7th grade challenge was to ask students to write a “Plan of Action” to introduce at the Presentation of Learning, which was not able to take place.

Rollout of the 7th grade project with students from the National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School.

“The Zoo was only able to roll out the problem to the 7th graders and have them visit the zoo to start evaluating current signage before schools closed,” Ms. Bassett explains. The current plan, she adds, is to finish the program by collaborating with 8th grade teachers in the fall. The students (who will then be 8th graders) will write their Plans of Action to demonstrate the results of their work. The Zoo will then assess student submissions and install the best signage in the park.

“I think it is important for educators to know how deeply learners connect with these two programs,” Ms. Bassett remarks. “We are able to create an environment where students can flourish by having these long-term partnerships. Each year we continue to grow the programs and create relationships among the teachers, the learners, and the Zoo staff.  By doing projects with the same learners first in 5th grade and then again when they are in 7th grade, we hope students come to see the zoo as a part of their community and their lives.  

A student cuts fire hose that will eventually be made into a hammock for a snow leapard.

“We have been told over and over how much it means to the learners to see their ideas and plans come to fruition through our partnership, instead of just working through a hypothetical problem that has no real-world application at the end of the project,” she continues. “At the Zoo, we love that we can provide that to the learners while they provide us with enrichment that our animals really use.”