Science exploration and enrichment was the focus for 75 Mountain
View School District students who took part in the EcoVoices Saturday Academy
held at Monte Vista School. Twenty-five
students from Monte Vista, Maxson and Payne Schools spent four Saturdays
learning about space robotics, biomimicry and biodiversity under the direction
of Dr. Richard Shope and EcoVoices staff members.
“The goal of the
four-day academy is to guide students to explore,
discover and understand and then tell the world,” said Roberto Lopez, MVSD’s
Director of Student Support Services.
“Dr. Shope and his staff do an excellent job of providing project-based
and inquiry-driven adventures for the students.”
The three modules of the Saturday program included Space Robotics where
students learned the basic design and construction principles for
robotic rovers that explore planets. Students used 3-D printers to make
key parts
to create a planetary environment for maneuvering the rovers. The
Biomimicry module taught students how to
read nature for underlying engineering principles. Referred to as
GREENgineering, students
learned design by using tools to take things apart and put them back
together. In the Biodiversity module
students explored the variety of life in our watershed ecosystem and
used
microscopes, binoculars and other science instruments to investigate
trees,
insects, and microbiota. They also
participated in expeditions, mapping and modeling.
“We greatly appreciate our collaboration with EcoVoices and Dr. Shope which has
provided our students with exceptional learning opportunities and educational
enrichment,” said Lopez. “We are happy
to provide the Saturday Academy which allows our students to engage in hands-on
learning in diverse subject areas which are different from their regular
instructional school day. It’s always
great to see students excited about learning, even on a Saturday.”