Eden Lake students develop STEM solutions in MN Zoo challenge

Animal-loving Eden Lake Elementary students recently had the chance to brainstorm and develop STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) solutions to real-life challenges faced by zoos – and some were recognized for their creative process and presentation.

The ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge gives students a chance to develop real solutions to problems faced by zookeepers and staff at the Minnesota Zoo.

From designing enrichments to building models of renovated animal exhibits, students are challenged to apply their science and math knowledge – along with creativity, problem-solving, and research skills – during the engineering design process. Selected students are then invited to present their projects at the ZOOMS Design Exhibition, held in March at the Minnesota Zoo.

This year, Eden Lake brought three groups of students to the zoo to present their project solutions. The same students participated last year and learned valuable lessons about how to approach the challenge, said Megan Skogstad, their MOSAIC teacher at Eden Lake.

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Thanks to their hard work, imagination, and innovative approach, Eden Lake’s Jungle Dream Team received the Creative Interpretation Award for the way they presented and described their habitat design.

Anna K., Meena R., and Samina O., three fifth-grade students who made up the Jungle Dream Team, said learning about animals was one of the highlights of the experience.

“I loved participating in this project because it introduced me to new animals and facts about them, and I learned so many new things along the way,” Anna said.

They also learned important skills about working on a group project, especially when it came to sharing the work. “It can be good to divide and conquer and then bring it together to improve and make it even better,” Anna said.

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Samina agreed, adding that for the process to go smoothly, “everything needs to be divided equally or we need to work together.”

Meena said that careful time management was also important to their project success, as was being flexible, since group projects involve many viewpoints.

“I learned that when working with a group there are going to be ups and downs,” she said. Fortunately, Meena added, “Our group had a very similar vision about the direction that we wanted to go. We agreed about a lot of the design elements of our project.”

Ultimately, Samina said, “It was a really great experience for all of us and we learned about gibbons and the resources that they need, along with how to work together as a team.”