Kristen McAninch had covered the terrain and plant life of desert ecosystems. Now, it was time to introduce her Ecology students at Westerville Central High School to some of the animals that inhabit those environments.
Specifically, a tortoise, bearded dragon and corn snake that are housed by science teachers in the building.
“Let’s talk about animal adaptations,” McAninch said to the class while holding the tortoise in her hand. “What do you notice about her?”
She launched into a discussion with students, asking them about parts of the tortoise’s body — her beak, the claws on her feet, her neck — that allow her to survive in the climate in which she and other tortoises live. Students peppered McAninch with questions and observations, several interested in touching her shell.
McAninch, who teaches Ecology and ESL Biology at WCHS, includes animals in nearly all her lessons as a way to help students connect with the units they are studying.
“I find when I can relate our lessons and ideas to physical and real examples in the classroom, it creates an experience, rather than just another lecture, that the students remember better and can then relate other concepts to,” McAninch said. “Learning about the reducing sea ice is more powerful when you can see a polar bear struggling to find food because of the lack of ice.”
Typically she finds insects and birds outside to observe and discuss. In the spring, she leads a bird-watching project where students learn to identify different species by their looks and, eventually, their songs alone.
She is currently working on developing a population study for the birding unit with her classes, discussing issues with the area’s invasive species. Learning about the behavior of birds and how it affects insect populations is easier when you can actually go outside and identify them by their calls and watch them feeding, McAninch said.
She enjoys introducing students to the reptiles in her desert unit because it allows her to educate students on animals that may initially make them uncomfortable.
“Bringing in traditionally scary animals in a safe controlled way shows them they don't need to be fearful of them after you learn more about them,” she said.
She recalls having students who were fearful of snakes share that after her lesson, they were able to conquer a bit of fear by being able to touch one.
As McAninch brought out the corn snake for this week’s lesson, she checked with the class to see which students were not comfortable having one near them. She walked around the room with the snake wrapped around her hand and wrist, asking students questions while they stared at the reptile in fascination.
When a student noticed the snake’s eyes were red, she asked them what it meant.
“They’re dangerous?” he asked.
“She’s albino,” McAninch said. “That’s all that means.”
She pointed out the snake’s muscles and how it helps her hold herself up so she can extend across bushes and trees in case the sand is too hot for her. She noted how the snake sticks her tongue out to smell, explaining how the tip of her tongue has tiny microscopic taste receptors that latch onto scent molecules in the air. Once in her mouth, the molecules travel to her head and send signals linked to her brain.
Many students were interested in petting her and several asked to hold her.
“I find this experience also tends to create more compassion to protect endangered animals and therefore care more about our changing environment and communities when students can get closer to nature,” McAninch said.