Elective Spotlight

ZOOLOGY

by Reese Squilla

  Ms. Harwick was asked to tell us about her Zoology elective, and she explained that students do different units that involve digestion, reproduction, and pathology. They compare and contrast these topics with different animals. When students come in, there is an animal of the day on the board to dive deeper into the life and history of the species. Each week, the students get to pick their own animal for the topics, so they have more creative freedom and it helps them stay engaged. Mrs. Harwick really likes Zoology because it is an elective. She feels she has more freedom in designing a class that she finds interesting while making students happy as well. She started “Film Fridays” to present certain animals and topics in different ways. She will do the class again and hopes for more students to sign up in the future. 

Student Input: From speaking to students enrolled in Zoology, the class is informative. Students have the opportunity to learn more about animals. The students also took a field trip to the Utica Zoo, which had a positive reaction too. They also have “Film Fridays," where they watch animal documentaries. This allows students to relax after a hard week at school. Students recommend this class and enjoy it.