This story features a learning activity that took place prior to school closures due to COVID-19.
Members of the Cryptozoology Club at Coles Elementary School use inquiry-based learning to study mysterious creatures. In previous years, the club researched Bigfoot, unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and extraterrestrials. This year, the after-school club investigated mermaids, the kraken and the Loch Ness Monster.
The club is hosted by ESOL Teacher Tara Hamner, School Counselor Heather Mainwaring, Third-Grade Teacher Ellen Menzies and School Librarian Lisa Story. Fifty-one students in grades second through fifth enjoyed a variety of engaging activities that touched on many curriculum areas.
Story, who visited Scotland in the summer of 2017, used her personal photos to create a tale about a search for the Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie. "Activities included researching about Nessie and Nessie sightings and listening to a video of a scientist talking about Loch Ness," she explained.
With this information, students wrote a postcard story about a trip to Loch Ness. Story incorporated technology into the session by video recording students reading their stories. Creating origami Nessies was another fun activity involving the Loch Ness Monster.
After listening to old fisherman stories and poems about the kraken, students used salt dough to create replicas of this mysterious creature. They also learned how to draw the kraken through a step-by-step art lesson.
Researching
mermaids
fascinated
students. Third
grade
student
Mikayla
said,
"There
are
different
types
of
mermaids."
Students
created
their
own
mermaid
costumes. In
the
end,
the
student
vote
on
whether
or
not
mermaids
do
exist
was
split,
while
most
believe
the
kraken
and
the
Loch
Ness
Monster
do
exist.
Take
a
look
at
the
video
to
see
the
cryptozoologists
searching
for
cryptids
at
Neabsco
Creek
Boardwalk.
They
did
not
find
any,
but
they
did
learn
a
lot
about
protecting
this
area
for
the
animals
that
make
this
wetland
their
home
and
those
that
visit
it
while
migrating.