SCVi Charter School students host an ‘Ecosystem Museum’

Rylee Kelemen
February 17, 2023
3:34 pm

SCVi Charter School third and fourth grade students played host to their “Ecosystem Museum” on Friday, displaying dozens of projects depicting ecosystems in California.

Tara Gonzales, a third- and fourth-grade facilitator (teacher) at SCVi, said the students began learning about ecosystems in October 2022.

From left to right, SCVi Charter School students Carlos Redin, Julian Aguilar and Emmett Sabac stand in front of their desert and California shoreline dioramas at the Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

“We started from the producers and consumers, what an ecosystem is, and then we worked our way up through the state of California, and what ecosystems we have here,” said Gonzales. “It took a while for us to break down the activity and then of course, they had the fun part, which was creating their projects.”

Each third- and fourth-grade student worked in a group to create their projects. Their projects were meant to relay the information about the ecosystem and its inhabitants that they learned about, convey a message as to why these ecosystems are important to protect and ask for a donation to help their cause.

Grown mushrooms inside of a SCVi Charter School student’s diorama at the Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

The students’ projects came in many different mediums such as dioramas, fold-out poster boards and painted poster boards.

Attendees were able to walk through the “Ecosystem Museum,” visiting each project and hearing the students’ presentations.

SCVi Charter School student Trule Lopez with her poster of the marine ecosystem at the Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

Trule Lopez, a student at SCVi Charter School, said that she was excited to be learning about many different ecosystems.

“I thought we had to only do the forest, so when I heard that we did one of the oceans, I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be really fun to do,’” said Lopez.

SCVi Charter School students, from left to right, River Wright and Aidan Paris with their poster “Save the Planet” at the Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

The projects focused on ecosystems such as the desert, Ballona Wetlands, Mojave Desert, marine, shoreline of California and P-22, a mountain lion that inhabited Griffth Park and was euthanized after being struck by a vehicle.

Students gained awareness of the many environmental issues taking place and ways that these issues can be prevented.

SCVi Charter School student Ashlynn Paris with her poster of the marine ecosystem at the Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

“It is important that you throw away your trash,” said Ashlynn Paris, an SCVi Charter School student.

“I can learn and learn about our ocean that you can’t put trash in it,” said Lopez. “It’s just not good for life.”

A SCVi Charter School student’s diorama of P-22, a mountain lion that resided in Griffith Park that had to be euthanized after being struck by a car, at the school’s Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

A SCVi Charter School student’s diorama at the Ecosystems Museum on 021723. — A SCVi Charter School student’s diorama of P-22, a mountain lion that resided in Griffith Park that had to be euthanized after being struck by a car, at the school’s Ecosystems Museum on 021723. Rylee Holwager/The Signal.

Rylee Kelemen

Rylee Kelemen (née Holwager) joined The Signal team in June 2022, but has lived in Santa Clarita her entire life. She loves to tell the people’s stories and keep the public informed. She is a graduate of California State University, Northridge and was the Social Media Editor at her time with The Daily Sundial. Have a story to share? Email Rylee at [email protected].