Over the past few years many of you have told us amazing stories about the new skills you’ve learned. Some of you learned BMX biking, some of you learned cubing, and some of you have even performed plays on stage. What is most amazing is that many of you learned new ways to… LEARN! This year, Ms. Lugibihl’s fifth grade class has been using their new technology skills to learn all about far off places, like the Everglades, and that’s earned them this week’s A+ Award.
The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and is made of marshes, mangroves, and home to hundreds of animal species including Florida panthers, manatees, and the engaged leatherback turtle. We got together with Ms. Lugibihl's class, they explained to us that they used Zoom technology to connect with conservationists, rangers, and guides from the Everglades National Park.
Ambrosia told us that the Everglades is a very diverse ecosystem. An ecosystem is a community of living things that interact with each other in their physical environment. She told us that there are a wide variety of plants and animals that live there. Addy added that many of the indigenous people that lived there were able to use the plants to build shelter and they were able to find many things to eat.
It’s not all good news though. Raelynn told us that there are several invasive species in the Everglades that are causing problems in the ecosystem. An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. Rashaun explained that of particular concern are Burmese pythons that have even been known to kill alligators! That’s a snake I wouldn’t want to meet! Byron told us that many of these animals end up in the Everglades because people release their pets there when they can’t take care of them any more or they are accidentally released through natural disasters! These environmental events often cause people to move.
Brylee wanted all of you to know that it’s important that we take care of the environment and that even small things can make a big difference.
This week’s A+ Award goes to Ms. Lugibihl's class at Liberty Arts Magnet School in Lima, Ohio for using technology to learn about far off places, and teaching us about invasive species.
Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org for consideration.