A thriving forest ecosystem has come to life on a Tuesday morning inside Granby Elementary School. Chipmunks are sniffing for acorns on the forest floor, raccoons are feeling for prey inside a hollowed-out log, birds are calling from the treetops, owls are hooting, bears are growling and flies are buzzing.
Underneath the makeshift canopy set up in the school library, Denver Museum of Nature & Science Educator and Performer Amanda Avram challenges a pack of rambunctious critters to use their senses to understand their surroundings and succeed in the wild. “I want you to point to the animals that use their sense of hearing,” Avram says. A flurry of hands points mostly in the direction of the station where the young learners have just finished matching birds with their identical calls.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science Educator and Performer Amanda Avram facilitates a Wild Senses Wonder Workshop by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Granby, Colo. (Photo/ Jordan Cooper)
This colorful scene, which is typical of a Wild Senses Wonder Workshop facilitated by the Museum, was made possible by Ann O’Donnell – a more than 50-year Museum volunteer whose family history in Grand County goes back six generations – and by the endowment her son John O’Donnell established in her name, which supports outreach education.
“We would like to share some of the wonderful resources of the Museum with people in Montana, Mexico and Mongolia,” John O’Donnell said.
As the activity progresses, Avram quizzes the students, sprinkling in bits of advanced scientific knowledge. “Did you know that dogs have a tapetum [in their eyes] to help them see at night?” Avram asks. “Why don’t spiders have a tapetum?” one student responds. “Because, spiders don’t need to see at night since they can feel their prey in their web,” Avram says. “I can see well at night,” another voice chimes in. “Then maybe you have a tapetum,” Avram replies.
Wonder Workshops are designed for grades Kindergarten through middle school and engage students in experiential, hands-on activities as they play and make discoveries about science and nature. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) topics explored through these formats range from animals, health and space science to physics, engineering and the environment. The programs meet Colorado State science standards as well as Next Generation standards, which focus on teamwork, problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
A child participates in the Museum-facilitated Wild Senses Wonder Workshop at Granby Elementary School. (Photo/ Jordan Cooper)
First grade teacher Cassandra Beck at Granby Elementary School recognizes the importance of bringing these types of activities into the classroom. “I thought it was such an awesome opportunity for [students] to have. Even though they couldn’t drive down to [the Museum], they had a little bit of the Museum come to them,” Beck said.
Informal science education fulfills a niche that is often lacking in formal curriculum, helping to spark curiosity and engagement at a young age and potentially propel students to pursue hobbies and careers in STEAM fields. A 2014 international study found a positive correlation between visits to museums and science centers and scientific literacy. Moreover, improvements in knowledge, interest, engagement and confidence in science and technology endure for many years after a Museum experience.
Museum Educator Performer Mia Salem demonstrates an activity involving raccoons and their prey during a Wonder Workshop at Granby Elementary School. (Photo/ Jordan Cooper)
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science serves approximately 15,000 students through Wonder Workshops each year and thousands more through offsite Curiosity Kits, which are facilitated by teachers themselves, as well as virtual programming that reaches students as far away as rural Alaska, Canada and Mexico.
Avram to points to the importance of funding for these programs and the critical support from donors that allows them to continue: “Getting kids to the Museum is always a struggle, so being able to afford these programs at their schools is priceless.”
Interested in volunteering for the Museum? The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is always looking for passionate individuals to join its volunteer team. Opportunities are available in a wide range of roles, and the program is open to anyone who is eight years-old and up.
To learn more, visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Volunteer page and take the first step toward making a difference.
To learn more about the impact an endowment gift can make to the mission of the Museum or to donate to the Ann O’Donnell Endowment for Outreach and Education, please reach out to development@dmns.org.
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