Students Create Dioramas to Cap Unit on Balanced Ecosystems

Fifth-grade students at Fortis Academy wrapped up their unit on ecosystems recently and were tasked with creating dioramas to showcase what they learned. The project, all part of Teacher Jean Hiller’s class, gave students the opportunity to display what they know about different organisms and how they interact within their physical environments.


 
Scholars researched biomes that included producers, consumers, and decomposers and included elements to represent the biosphere (the thin layer of Earth where life exists), geosphere (the rocks and rock formations throughout Earth), hydrosphere (Earth’s water areas), and atmosphere (the collection of gases that make up Earth’s air).
 
“The purpose of the project was for students to create a diorama that had to have a balanced ecosystem of their choice,” Sandy Bock, 3-5 dean said. “Ms. Hiller always incorporates fun and creative ideas in her teaching that helps students showcase their learning.”
 
Students wrote an explanation of their ecosystems on a note card to provide details for classes that were invited to explore their creations. Included were beach scenes, forests, and jungles with animals like tigers, sloths, fish, bear, and monkeys.


 
Great work supporting student creativity, Ms. Hiller!
About Fortis Academy
Fortis Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Ypsilanti, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

Visit Fortis Academy's blog to read more stories like this.