Bryan students learn about zoo

First grade students at Bryan School recently participated in a two-week unit in which they studied animals and their habitats. Each class chose a specific habitat, such as the ocean or rain forest. Reading and writing activities were focused on these subjects during that time. The children listened to books, shared reading with their peers and teachers, and did art projects, science inquiries, reports and experiments. At the end of the two-week period, each class prepared a presentation about their animals and habitats with the other first grade classes as well as the kindergarten students in the building. The grand finale of the project was a trip to Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, where all of the habitats studied were represented. First grade teachers felt the trip was a meaningful conclusion to the science unit. Writing and reading activities continued during the next week as the children wrote about and discussed their experiences and observations at the zoo. --submitted photos