Detroit Zoo Peer to Peer Trip
Kalli Nowitzke
The goal of this program is to connect peers with students with higher needs by interacting with a common interest of animals. We are also studying plant life in the Unique Learning System (ULS) curriculum and would like to explore the greenhouse and gardens. We would also like to explore the greenhouse effect projects as this aligns with our climate change study through ULS.
Dexter High School offers the Peer to Peer course. The peers and students with higher needs learn about one another and work together on assignments and activities. The students wanted to plan a purposeful end of the year event together. The zoo offers opportunities to explore climate change and plant life, which are two areas of study in the Unique Learning System curriculum. The students felt the zoo would be easy to access for students with physical limitations, hold students' interest and allow for more opportunities to interact and share an experience together.
Many of the student’s IEP goals are based on connecting with peers and increasing communication. We can measure progress through increased conversation and interactions with peers. Furthermore, the students can complete the questions and answers in the ULS curriculum before and after the trip to the zoo.
The students will continuously be affected by climate change, so it is important to get the concrete, hands on learning experience to better understand a topic that affects all of us. The students also will be able to get hands-on experience with gardening, which allows students to further gain knowledge of ways to provide clean air and other benefits of plantlife.