Skyping with Elephants!
My favorite part about this past week in Mrs. MacInnes' classroom was our Skype session with Dr. Jim, a veterinarian from Hope, Maine. He started a program called "Hope Elephants" where he provides a home for injured and aging elephants. We had so much fun learning about the two elephants, Opal and Rosie, who are currently living in a beautiful facility (with heated sand and all) in Hope, Maine. We even got to see them up close and personal throughout the entire session! Some of the third grade students have been researching animals and zoos/the circus. They wrote argumentative essays either defending zoos or opposing them because of poor treatment of animals. Elephants were a hot topic in their essays, so what better way to expand their learning experience than by having a Skype chat with live elephants?
Dr. Jim met Rosie and Opal when they were babies. He and his brothers were jugglers in the circus and the elephants were part of the show. Now that both elephants are unable to perform tricks, they are retired. Thanks to Dr. Jim, they are now treated like princesses! The elephants and their facility are open to the public for visits; it would be so neat to take a field trip there sometime! To learn more about Hope Elephants, you can check out their website here.
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