Principal’s Corner by Diane Schultz

 

Third-grade students and staff at Sibley Elementary School team up with the Freeborn County 4-H coordinators, Amy Wadding and Megan Thorson, to bring science and English language arts lessons alive.

In the hands-on lessons, students covered many different standards and were tasked with classifying and categorizing physical traits of both plants and animals. They also had to work together in collaborative groups to inform their peers about specific characteristics of the different plant and animal groups they were studying.

“The activities integrated science and literacy as students compared and contrasted the rabbit and chicken that were brought in,” Kristen Burton said. “This was an engaging and hands-on experience that all enjoyed.” 

“The extension office is an amazing resource of hands-on learning activities that we have not been utilizing wisely in our classrooms until this year,” said third-grade teacher Clay Scott said. “I am thankful to both Megan and Amy for being so open and willing to not only come into our classrooms, but also sharing their resources and materials with us to help address and enhance the state standards.”

The University of Minnesota Extension Office has been teaming up with schools in Albert Lea for many years, and is just recently is starting to incorporate lessons for all students in the four elementary schools.

Diane Schultz is the principal at Sibley Elementary School.