BRINGING SPECIMENS AND LIVE ANIMALS TO THE CLASSROOM IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE LEARNING By: Saverio Lumia Over the past three years, I have had the pleasure of volunteering and working at the Hands-on Biodiversity (HOB) Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum. One of my many responsibilities is to use specimens and live animals to teach students about biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and anatomy. As a result of my experiences at the HOB gallery, I have become a strong advocate of hands-on inquiry learning and the importance of students experiencing science. By using specimens in this informal setting, students are able to learn about specific biological concepts in a unique and memorable way. One day, I aspire to incorporate hands-on learning with specimens and live animals in my own classroom, and hopefully, my fellow biology teachers will do the same. As soon as one enters the HOB gallery, teaching and learning are evident in the voices and actions of staff, volunteers, and visitors. A majority of teaching and learning occurs at the themed touch tables such as the skeleton table and feeding table. Although I teach informally at the touch tables, I am still capable of creating mini-lessons with three distinct components. At the table exploring feeding mechanisms of various organisms, for instance, I constantly begin with a quick introduction to the theme of the table. Next, students will participate in a guided inquiry process with open-ended questions. At this table, in particular, students will compare the teeth of a black bear and a white tailed deer and note any differences and similarities. Lastly, students will arrive at their own conclusion that a black bear is an omnivore and a white-tailed deer is an herbivore. At the touch tables, differentiation, accommodations, and modifications are also evident. For instance, visitors are able to listen to staff and volunteers explain biological concepts related to the specimens. Alternatively, visitors can read the text presented on the back panel of
BRINGING SPECIMENS AND LIVE ANIMALS TO THE CLASSROOM IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE LEARNING By: Saverio Lumia Over the past three years, I have had the pleasure of volunteering and working at the Hands-on Biodiversity (HOB) Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum. One of my many responsibilities is to use specimens and live animals to teach students about biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and anatomy. As a result of my experiences at the HOB gallery, I have become a strong advocate of hands-on inquiry learning and the importance of students experiencing science. By using specimens in this informal setting, students are able to learn about specific biological concepts in a unique and memorable way. One day, I aspire to incorporate hands-on learning with specimens and live animals in my own classroom, and hopefully, my fellow biology teachers will do the same. As soon as one enters the HOB gallery, teaching and learning are evident in the voices and actions of staff, volunteers, and visitors. A majority of teaching and learning occurs at the themed touch tables such as the skeleton table and feeding table. Although I teach informally at the touch tables, I am still capable of creating mini-lessons with three distinct components. At the table exploring feeding mechanisms of various organisms, for instance, I constantly begin with a quick introduction to the theme of the table. Next, students will participate in a guided inquiry process with open-ended questions. At this table, in particular, students will compare the teeth of a black bear and a white tailed deer and note any differences and similarities. Lastly, students will arrive at their own conclusion that a black bear is an omnivore and a white-tailed deer is an herbivore. At the touch tables, differentiation, accommodations, and modifications are also evident. For instance, visitors are able to listen to staff and volunteers explain biological concepts related to the specimens. Alternatively, visitors can read the text presented on the back panel of
bringing-specimens-and-live-animals-to-the-classroom.docx