Learning Through Wildlife: Where Curiosity Connects It All
Our students kicked off a wildlife animal project with a simple starting point: wonder questions. Each student, within groups, chose an animal and developed questions about what they wanted to learn.
From there, their curiosity led to research, writing, art, math, and hands-on design. Students created wonder journal spreads, researched their animals, and designed and built animal enclosures using only paper and glue. They then carefully drew their enclosures in their math journals, making sure their measurements were accurate.
The project brought together science, writing, art, and math in a way that felt purposeful and connected. Students used what they learned about their animals to make decisions about their designs, applied measurement skills, and represented their thinking visually.
The project also gave students the opportunity to present their enclosures to the class, explaining their designs and sharing what they had learned. In doing so, they practiced communicating their ideas and learning from one another.
At Phoenix, learning doesn’t always fit neatly into one subject area—and that’s exactly the point. When students can ask questions, make choices, create, and share their thinking, different areas of learning come together in meaningful ways.