Where in the World is Raptor

2010-2011, Kindergarten

The class gecko (named Raptor) had enough! His tank was too small, his plants were plastic, there was no food variety and . . . he found garbage in his cage! He wrote kindergarteners a scathing letter and said that he was off to find a new home. Kindergarteners researched local habitats, animal characteristics, and plants in order to convince their beloved pet to come back. They performed on Exhibition Night to educate others about the importance of maintaining a clean habitat for animals, giving tips on preserving our environment, and presenting Odes to Raptor.

Remarkable Raptors

2014-2015, Second Grade

In this spring expedition the second grade learned about the amazing life and super powers of raptors. The expedition began with an in-depth case study of a raptor that calls Rochester home, the peregrine falcon. Through this lens students dove into the classification, biomes, food, threats, lifecycle, and adaptations of raptors!
The second exploration was a case study in which each student became an expert on a specific raptor. Using the same criteria they looked at in the first case study, students researched how their bird has adapted to survive in different biomes throughout the world (i.e. desert, tundra, rainforest). The culmination of their research was put to use in the third exploration as the students developed an opinion pieces based on their research and communicated them in a creative format.

It’s Up to Us!

2014-2015, Fifth Grade

Fifth graders make decisions everyday. The effects of their choices can cause rippling effects on their environment. In the past, our expeditions have been about our history. However, this expedition focused on how we play a role in the history of our future. Throughout this expedition, students investigated the choices they make everyday and the effects those choices have on their classroom environment, school environment, and world. As problem-solvers they were empowered to find solutions to help create a sustainable future. Much like the title of this expedition, all of what happened during these twelve weeks, was up to our present day history makers to decide.