Mini-Minnesota

St. Paul students in grades 4-6 restored part of their schoolyard to an ecologically rich environment, modeling the three natural biomes of Minnesota. The purpose was to create an outdoor space for learning for students and teachers. The students learned about the characteristics of different types of trees and shrubbery, created a plan of action for the land including a visual map, and then carried out their plan for restoration. They learned about service-learning, assessing community needs, using different resources to further understand the issues and how to connect needs to action. The students explored the individual gifts and talents they each possess and examined how these gifts can be an essential part of making change. Their goal was to provide a positive experience where students, family, friends, volunteers, and community partners were able to come together and learn how to be stewards of the earth, learn about the ecology of Minnesota biomes, gain leadership and teamwork skills, learn how to recognize community needs and explore the possibilities of how they can become part of a solution.