By Kathy Kurtz Ferrari
Contributor
5/15/08

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Working in small groups, fifth graders choose one of the animals housed at the museum for an in-depth research project that spans more than two months. The third graders have been reading about and studying the animals as well.
Emily Carreiro, a teacher and naturalist from the Trailside Museum, has guided the students during their projects. Visiting each elementary school several times each year, Carreiro has become a familiar face in the hallways, usually escorted by a furry or feathered creature from the museum.
“I travel to schools all over the state, but the kids in Milton know me,” says Carreiro. “They have come here several times to study, and I am at the schools all the time, too.”
The Milton Foundation for Education (MFE) funded the program.
The culmination of the work for fifth graders takes place over two days, as bus loads of students take over the museum. The fifth graders become teachers, demonstrating their expertise of rattlesnakes, kestrels, barn owls, tree frogs and many other animals. Each of the four schools has its own time slot, as groups of two to four students make presentations to anxious learners: third graders from the same schools.
The program is in its third year, and this year’s fifth graders are pioneers. Three years ago, they were the first group of third graders in the program. Now they are doing the teaching themselves.
“The best way for you to learn something is for you to try to teach it to someone else,” says Barbara Plonski, science coordinator for the schools. “I know that as a teacher myself.”
Each fifth-grade teaching group made posters and presentations, some even dress up as their animal. They are given props by the museum, like snake skin, animal pelts, puppets and animal skeletons. And, of course, they have the added bonus of having the actual animal with them as they teach younger students.
“It’s kind of weird being a teacher because we’ve never taught anyone before,” says Cunningham fifth grader, Caroline Faherty.
“I liked when the third graders listened when we told them about the opossum,” says classmate Madelyn Driscoll.
According to their teacher, Josh Coben, that’s an ironic observation. “I heard a lot of the kids complaining that the younger kids weren’t listening. Well, welcome to the club!” Coben laughs, knowing that his students now realize teaching is not so easy.
The funding for the program comes from the MFE’s Sam’s Fund, made in memory of Sam Cichello, a student who died tragically several years ago. Sam’s family created the memorial fund to raise money for science, Sam’s favorite subject. For the past three years, the money has gone towards the program.
The beauty of programs like this, says Plonski, is that students can be exposed to multiple disciplines. Not only are they learning about science, but they are doing a research project that incorporates reading and writing skills as well.
After many weeks of studying and preparation, the older students seem mature and knowledgeable. But they remember what it was like on their visit a few years ago.
“You can remember when you were in third grade, learning,” says Jakai Knight. “And now we are doing the teaching. It’s pretty cool.”