Model Ponds or Learning Pawns?

     I could have never imagined the amount of learning that would come from the creation of Model Ponds with the 5th grade. These Model Ponds became avenues for learning, questioning, observing, and loving science. I could not be happier with the way these ponds cemented the learning from previous classes and got the students enveloped in the learning and inquiry process for future lessons; true concrete learning to move the students to the abstract in later lessons. Mrs. Vasilakos emailed me saying how the students didn't even need the observation worksheets as motivation because they were observing all day long. She said they have brilliant question, they see life in their tanks and have such ownership over their models.
     The creation of these models are both reliant on, and supportive of, all of the lessons being taught on aquatic ecosystems. There, so far, have been lessons on ecosystems and biomes in general, food webs, food chains, nitrogen cycle, waste cycling, relationships between organisms, and there will soon be lessons on aquatic ecosystems specifically. All of these are necessary for the students to understand what is happening in their Model Pond and why we have Model Ponds. The Model Pond, in return, serves as an example and model of all of these things taught. Our ponds are an ecosystem, specifically an aquatic pond ecosystem, with food chains and webs, worms that recycle waste, and animals that live symbiotically.
     The key of my reflection on the building of these Model Ponds is engaged learning. Previous to this I used to believe that teachers needed to be fun and make sure students are having fun at school in order for students to love learning. Through this one lesson I realize this view is off tune. Fun activities make a cool teacher- not an effective teacher, and students love learning when they have ownership of it. Engaging activities that put responsibility and learning in the students hands are fun and effective. Engaged learners are brilliant learners. I had students coming up to me, not even 30 minutes into our Model Pond building, and say, "May I please have the Daphnia- the transparent crustaceans in the back tank." I could have never taught the students that in 30 minutes. There were also comments coming from a student who is usually negative that took me back, such as, "This is so cool. I am glad we can do this in school." Therefore, these tanks became learning pawns for both the teachers and the students to use in engaged activities where the students generated their own knowledge through the responsibility of creating their own Model Pond Ecosystems.