Loudonville Linguists use English to save polar bears

Meet the Loudonville Linguists; “North Colonie Kids Care” May 2018 feature.

Many of us have ways we like to get involved and give back. For some it’s by making a donation to a local organization, for others it’s taking on global initiatives – like saving polar bears.  This was exactly the goal of the Loudonville Linguists when they decided to join “Project Polar Bear” as an interdisciplinary project. 

Through the Polar Bear International’s “Project Polar Bear,” each student completed an inquiry-based project and led a hands-on lab for the other linguists, all surrounding the survival of polar bears.

According to ENL Teacher Bonny Einstein, these students – who represent nine different languages and six different levels of English language skill sets –  are using English for real world purposes.

“They are advocating for the conservation of Arctic Sea ice and the continued survival of the polar bear,” said Einstein. “They are using the English language to service the global community.”

Each of the students conducted individual and group research to create projects that highlighted how the threat of climate change was affecting polar bears. Some of these projects included a scripted play that discussed the difficulties a polar bear may face when trying to feed its young; a hand-made blubber glove that showcased how polar bears are adapted to the cold and would struggle to survive in warmer conditions; and, finally, soaking gummy bears in different types of solutions to showcase how the changing temperature of the Arctic sea could have serious effects on a polar bear’s life style.

“The students were extremely committed to their projects,” said Einstein. “They even volunteered to work during recess and after school.”

Each of the projects were displayed at Loudonville’s Exploratory Laboratory on Tuesday, March 20. Additionally, their projects have been documented and submitted to Polar Bear International for use in advocacy efforts to protect the polar bear and its habitat. Learn more about the initiative on the Polar Bear International website.

Congratulations to Mrs. Einsten’s Loudonville Linguists for being recognized as North Colonie Kids Care recipients for May!

Here is a list of the students’ names and their project titles:

Kindergarten Linguists Group Project: We Speak Polar Bear

• Mustafa Ali
• Aman Jain
• Namna Jain
• Zoe Mopotu-Kayumba
• Stanley Wakeley

First Grade Linguists

• Jacob Lici: If Gummy Bears were Polar Bears…
• Anna Yu: Polar Bears Do Not Hibernate

Second Grade Linguists

• Janet Lu: All About Harp Seals
• Jessie Lu: All About Arctic Foxes
• Manaal Naeem: Comparing Jan Brett’s Snow Bears to Real Polar Bears

Third Grade Linguists

• Casey Lici: Polar Bear Structures and Behaviors
• Grace Mopotu-Maloba: Arctic Food Web
• Hadiyah Naina: Aasira and her Cubs

Fourth Grade Linguist

• Vidhi Jain: Polar Bear Blubber Adaptation Over Time

Fifth Grade Linguists

• Miguel Arnias Dania: The Beaufort Gyre
• Alexandre Mopotu-Mogbaya: Comparing Two Bears

Category: District News, Loudonville