Hope Street ecology students, led by teacher
Miranda Forgey, ventured out into Kanza Education Park’s prairie on
Wednesday. This was the fourth time this year that Forgey’s students
have had such an opportunity, and the students who went on
the field trip had a great time exploring the grassland. With the help
of Westar officials, the prairie underwent a controlled burn last
spring, followed by a seeding that has brought new life and a variety of
colors to what was once a very brown landscape.
Forgey said her
students had requested permission to pick the new flowers that now call
the grassland home, but in an effort to preserve the new plants, she
decided to let them take pictures of the bright blossoms instead. The
students were instructed to take pictures of no fewer than five
different colors found on the prairie, along with the leaves of the
flowers, so that they could identify and research their findings back in
the classroom.
This year Forgey's students have also had
opportunities to take soil samples and conduct insect identification.
And, later this month, the students will perform biomass surveys.
According to Forgey, “In this experiment, students toss hula-hoops into
plots and cut all of the plant material inside the hoop. They then sort
the plant material into bags, separating forbs and grasses. We'll allow
the samples to dry over several weeks before we determine the end-of
season biomass.”
Student Nona Davis said Wednesday was her fourth
time on the prairie this school year. She particularly enjoyed the
insect identification project and takes advantage of hands-on
opportunities to learn. Nona has plans to pursue additional STEM
education beyond high school, as she is hoping to continue her education
in automotive technology after she graduates next year.
The
students enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather on the Kanza prairie, and
they even had the opportunity to incorporate technology into their
lesson. Knowledgeable teachers, eager students and unparalleled
resources make Topeka Public Schools a great place to be!
We are the largest district in Shawnee County & believe that our students will change the world.
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