The freshman class at Horton High School embarked on an outdoor classroom adventure Tuesday, March 5 at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Forest City, Missouri. It was a cross-curricular learning experience combining the disciplines of algebra, biology, history, language arts, culinary arts, and physical education.
Students learned about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and hiked up the 100-step, hand-built stone stairway the Corps completed in 1935. They identified trees and witnessed thousands of snow geese and other waterfowl in their annual migration. Students used algebraic ratios and proportions in a catch-and-release fishing activity to simulate how the population of a species can be determined without actually counting every single specimen. In language arts, a variety of essays, poems, and short stories examined the ways in which humans interact with their environment.
For their final projects, students created digital magazine layouts. The team who won best design was Bobbi Becker and Ellah Stirton. The team that won Best Digital Magazine overall was Emaleigh Baker, Carly Bottom, Cheyanne Cummins, Shyanne Hutchinson. Aiden Jamvold won best short story. Their work may be viewed online at usd430.org/page/hhs
The cross-curricular experience was designed to increase transferable problem-solving ability and deepen student understanding and engagement. Teachers who planned the project were Lori Campbell, family and consumer science; Nick Dowell, physical education; Julie Geiger, language arts; Bryan Hirsch, history; and Karen Kimmi, algebra. Their collaboration inspired the addition of three new classes for the 2024-2025 school year at Horton High School: History Research, 21st Century Journalism, and Lifetime Fitness.