Courtesy/ Mark Masek

Academy’s Environmental Science class (led by Ms. Eisert) traveled to the Columbus Zoo on Friday, October 9. Rather than an ordinary visit to view wildlife, this trip was designed to show students environmental science in the real world.

To start the trip off, the class split into smaller groups, ensuring everyone had a partner. Once everyone was grouped up, they had the freedom to disperse throughout the zoo and observe all the wildlife. While doing so, we were required to take photographs of animals that intrigued us. We also took notes on all our observations so we could review and share them in the classroom.

Charlie O’D said, “I had a great time at the zoo! It was awesome to observe all the animals firsthand and see how they relate to the habitats and animal endangerment topics we’ve discussed in class. Being able to see what we’ve learned about in person was a really cool experience, and it helped me better understand and connect all the information.”

This trip allowed students to see how the Columbus Zoo uses conservation efforts to protect endangered species and make a difference around the world. Before the visit, our class had been studying endangered species.

In addition to learning about endangered species, students have also been focusing on individual animals to help educate others about them, and we marked our next unit on biomes and ecology, giving students the opportunity to build on what they had already learned while preparing for the next section of their environmental science class.