Learning and Teaching: First Graders Share Native Animal Research

Mount Madonna School (MMS) first graders can tell you a lot about some of the animals native to Santa Cruz County, including wild turkeys, barn owls and rattlesnakes, following several weeks of research and presentations to their peers, parents and teachers. 

Photos by Cassia Laffin and Leigh Ann Clifton

‘Students love animals,’ commented first grade teacher Cassia Laffin. ‘When teachers take something students already love and ask them to answer questions they may never have thought about, learning occurs. I am excited for my students to learn — and to teach — each other about the animals in our big ‘backyard.’ This gives students a deeper appreciation for these animals and our environment.”

‘I studied the opossum,’ said first grader Cora Kayne. ‘It is the only marsupial in North America and it is nocturnal. One adaptation to help them survive is that they can ‘play dead’.’

Students presented reports on chosen animals — this was the explicit curriculum — and also demonstrated their understanding of the implicit curriculum embedded in the activity: learning how to do semi-independent academic research, developing time management skills and practicing public speaking, including eye contact, a clear speaking voice and body language. This year, unlike years past, Laffin arranged for first graders to give additional presentations to other students, elementary teachers and parents. Visitors rotated from first grader the next, learning about the various animals. 

Aidan Rassech told the students gathered around him that deer, including the Black-Tailed deer that he chose to study, are herbivores, eating only plants and acorns and that they adapt well to both warm and cold forest temperatures.

‘The Western Fence lizard has ‘fracture lines’ on its body so it can drop its tail to save its life when it’s in danger,’ explained classmate Share Willoughby. ‘But without their longer tail, they are not as ‘graceful’.’

Kaia Mangus chose to study the barn owl because her mom likes owls. She told listeners that these owls make hissing sounds to scare away predators and that their prey includes skunks.

Eden Fisher shared new vocabulary pertaining to the turkeys, such as ‘poults,’ a term for young fowl; while Colby Saunders proudly displayed a hand-drawn picture depicting the lifecycle of the Pacific Giant Marbled Salamander. Siena Liddicoat studied the Western Pacific Rattlesnake. She told listeners that this snake uses heat pits located in its head to help it find food and that its eggs hatch inside of its body, making it appear to give birth to live young. 

I love all the learning that goes on, but developing confidence and giving students opportunities to learn from one another is my main objective,’ Laffin explained. ‘Listening to other students and adults ask questions and the presenters’ answers demonstrates for me how well my students grasp what they have learned. I want to instill a sense of comfort through practice and a supportive classroom environment where children feel listened to and competent in their speaking and communication abilities. I also want my students to realize that I am not the only teacher in the classroom. We are all teachers. We all have valuable information to share.’

Laffin said she noticed that first graders had an unexpected amount of nervousness during their initial presentations to visitors, something that wasn’t evident during earlier presentations to classmates.   

‘While some students were at first a bit resistant and tenuous presenting in front of others, by the end, all were expressing disappointment that the presentations were finished and it was time to take their posters and note cards home. 

‘Their hesitation and nervousness had turned to a developed confidence and they were sorry not to have more opportunities to present!’ she said. ‘It was really special to watch the care and patience that the older students showed in asking the questions, sometimes helping them when needed to either recall the information or read their notecards. It was a very sweet scene to behold.’

Academically, the Native Animal Project ties into a broader curriculum of understanding ourselves, others and the surrounding environment, said Laffin. The project met several life science standards and required students to gather factual information and photographs. Most used computers and the internet, while some, with Laffin’s encouragement, visited a public library to find other resources. For first graders, the project also began their familiarity with the process of researching and writing reports, skills they will be building on for many years to come.