WoW teaches about fish, food chain and more
Recently, first-grade students from Orange River Elementary in Fort Myers learned hands-on about how fish breathe from the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) mobile classroom. They examined gills under a microscope and viewed a fish skeleton. Also, fourth-graders played “Food Chain Jenga” to learn about the circle of life. Each color represented a trophic level (position in the food web) to demonstrate the flow of energy in an ecosystem. After spring break, the WoW team moved on to Sunshine Elementary in Lehigh Acres, where it remain through April 14. Recently, fifth-graders at the school used tools to understand different bird beak adaptations. They tried using a spoon to mimic a roseate spoonbill and chopsticks to imitate ibises gathering worms (yarn) and discussed how birds have different beaks to accommodate their habitat and diet. Also, the team introduced the gopher tortoise to the K-2 Life Skills class. The students learned the gopher tortoise is a keystone species that helps more than 350 other animals.