Small School, Big Ideas
JASON Learning in Elmwood, WI
Written by Kristel Flesberg
Secondary Science Teacher, Elmwood Schools
Elmwood, WI is a small town that has a lot of big ideas. Nestled in a valley in the heart of dairyland, Elmwood is a quiet community fueled by agriculture and filled with friendly faces. The town boasts a population of 817 inhabitants. It has a historical claim to fame for being the UFO capital of Wisconsin. The rich agricultural history and possible link to extraterrestrial life makes Elmwood a great place to study STEM and to integrate JASON Learning curriculum.
The heart of Elmwood is the school district. Grades 4K-12 occupy the same the building that has morphed and changed shape over the years to provide separate wings for elementary, middle, and high school students. On the average, a graduating class ranges from 20–30 students. All staff members occupy a variety of roles and, as such, they have to wear many hats. The size of the district is one of its strengths, however, it does pose a few challenges. Teachers strive to look outside of the box for new, engaging lessons that encourage students to be active learners and to utilize the resources around them. At each level of the district, there are fun, new, and exciting STEM opportunities. JASON Learning has added to the unique curriculum and strengthened the educational process.
This year has brought a renewed focus on STEAM to the elementary. In addition to classroom science content, the 4th grade teacher sought out a new avenue to encourage students to become excited about science. The teacher began an after school club focused around STEAM. At each event, the project was themed by the season or current events. Students worked hands on to build, design, and create solutions to proposed problems. The club was open to any student in grades 4 and 5 who sought to challenge themselves and who desired to learn more about the world around them.
In addition to the after school STEAM club, Elmwood supports a Science Olympiad team. As part of the team, nine students compete in 23 events during five separate tournaments. The team is a small but dedicated group and they have been very successful; winning medals at every level of competition. At one competition, the students were asked to build a glider that would be powered solely by a rubber band and it must be able to stay in the air for at least one minute. The students were given only balsa wood and plastic baggies. During another event, the students needed to identify 15 unique mystery powders discovered at a crime scene, then share their findings with the forensic team. The Science Olympiad team faced some intense competition and for a young team, they surpassed the district expectations.
In the middle school, students have been working on a field crop demonstration plot. In this project, students work with an agronomist from a competitive seed company. Together students plant 8–12 different varieties of genetically modified corn seeds. Over the course of the growing season students monitor their growth. In the fall, the plants are harvested by the students and data is collected. The data includes corn yields, dry down comparison, and soil samples.
Another exciting project is the Elk Camera Project. In this project students work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to monitor the local elk population. One camera is set up in the school forest, which is located just outside of the building, and four more cameras are located 3.5 hours north of the school near Clam Lake, WI. Students are responsible for camera maintenance and changing batteries. Also, students collect over 1000 photos a year. The students sort through the photos and identify the wildlife in them, then they upload the information and share it with the DNR.
A new addition to the curriculum and to the school district is the school orchard. The orchard was designed and planted by students. It contains 10 apple trees, 5 pear trees, 5 plum trees, and over 200 feet of grape vines. The hope is that eventually the students will be able to harvest the fruit to make apple cider and other products.
At the high school level, students are investigating the world around them. The ecology class teamed up with the Wildlife Conservation Center located about an hour away in Minnesota to address the question, does catnip effect cougars the same way that it effects domesticated cats? Students designed an original experiment, worked as a team to write up an action research proposal then contacted the Wildlife Science Center and set up a date for the experiment to take place. The students prepared two stuffed teddy bears to be sacrificed in the name of science. The first bear contained only stuffing but the second bear had its stuffing removed and replaced with catnip. Both bears were placed in the cougar enclosure. Students observed and recorded the reaction of the cougars. Once the experiment was completed, students returned to the classroom and created a digital documentary of their experiment. The video was then shared with other classes at the school and the school board. This particular activity was connected to multiple NGSS standards and followed the JASON trend of thinking outside of the box and interacting with local wildlife scientists.
JASON Learning has brought some exciting new lessons to the Elmwood Science Department. The Race to Restore unit, focusing on wetlands, sparked a passion for digging up sediment in a nearby pond. And the Terminal Velocity Unit allowed freshmen to turn the science lab into a obstacle course of tubes and strings as they measured the velocity of marbles while they rolled down home made tracks and compared it to their masses.
As mentioned previously, staff in Elmwood have to wear many hats. For example, the high school math and physics teacher also serves as the aquaponics expert in the district. While students are learning about quadratic and linear equations, a fish tank on the side of the classroom is providing nutrient rich water for the tomato plants growing above it. Students assist the teacher in the maintenance of the tanks and soil bed.
The small school atmosphere encourages students to think outside the classroom curriculum, as well as teachers. This year, a senior student took up an interest in shrimp. This student created a habitat specifically suited to the needs of shrimp. The tank is located in the biology classroom. Over the course of the school year, the plants have grown along with the shrimp and snail population. The oxygen content, nitrate and carbon dioxide levels are monitored closely. This particular experiment has sparked an aquatic interest explosion in the school. A variety of classes and age groups periodically peek into the classroom to check out the progress of the growing ecosystem inside the tank.
Elmwood is a small school with big ideas. The staff prides themselves on being able to think outside of the box and are encouraged to seek out additional resources throughout the community. Thinking outside the school is not necessarily unique to Elmwood but how about thinking outside the country? In April, Elmwood hosted 20 Chinese students in grades 4 and 5. These students attended classes with the 4th and 5th graders and lived in their homes for one week. Integrative lessons were planned that included a welcoming ceremony, music and art shares, and digital projects. The Chinese students toured local farms and geological interest sites. In addition, the University of Wisconsin — Stout, located about 30 minutes from the district, collaborate with Elmwood administration and their own international studies program to create a personalized event revolving around science, art, and cultural awareness. The event was the first of its kind in the area and, as such, TV cameras documented the festivities and aired the students on the evening news.
Elmwood’s relationship with nearby universities has created many opportunities for its students. In addition to supplying online classes and sports clinics, UW — Stout allows the advanced biology class to work in their cadaver lab. This gives students a hands on opportunity of lifetime and a valuable insight in to careers in the fields of science and medicine. Another resource utilized is the local ambulance hall. Each spring students interested in science attend a workshop on emergency medicine. During the workshop students learn about and practice splinting broken bones, reading heart rhythms, intubating patients, and setting up IVs and IOs to prepare a patient for transport.
Elmwood, WI might just appear to be a map dot compared to many other larger cities and school districts but it is well on its way to becoming a destination school. STEM and JASON curriculums are integrated into the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum. Staff members are passionate about the courses they teach and are always looking for ways to pull from the multitude of resources surrounding the district. The partnership with JASON Learning has taken an already great education system and raised it to another level. Elmwood Schools might be small but through dedicated staff and JASON Learning, they are providing big opportunities.
