IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Fall 2018 | Page 78

Baldwin-Whitehall
SCHOOL
BUZZ
ROBOTICS IN THE WILD
DAY CAMP AT RACCOON CREEK STATE PARK ALLOWS STUDENTS
TO ENCOUNTER—AND ENGINEER—PLANTS
Every year Shane Miller arrives at J. E. Harrison Middle
School with flowers—lots of flowers. He’s not delivering
bouquets to teachers, but bringing knowledge of
Pennsylvania’s plant-life to students. Miller is an Environmental
Educator at Raccoon Creek State Park. Science Teacher Jeffery
Reffert shares that his students look forward to the visits,
often bringing photos of plants they’ve encountered for
Miller to identify. This year, a grant from the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources enabled
sixth-grade students to participate in a day camp at Raccoon
Creek State Park. The camp featured three different stations
that equipped students with survival skills and allowed them
to encounter plants in a fresh way. Through survival stations,
students learned to construct shelters with plants from the
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area and build a fire without matches. In the final station,
Harrison Middle School technology teacher Brandi Short
guided students in recreating three native plant species in a
robotics garden: Mayapples, Ox-eye Daisies, and Tall White
Beardtongues. This project allowed students to think about
plant structure and function through the engineering and
design process. Mr. Reffert shares, “In education we look for
STEAM: Science Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
This was authentic STEAM, the intersection of ecology,
environmental science, and robotics. It was unique and
engaging.” The day camp took place after summer break had
begun. Reffert notes, “Students gave up one of their first days
off of summer to attend the camp. That shows their dedication
and enthusiasm and curiosity.”