ZOOMS Project Challenges Scientific Thinking

Biology students developed exhibits and enrichment for wolves at the Minnesota Zoo as part of the annual ZOOMS Design Challenge.

 

On January 25, Biology classes taught by Chad Anderson and Mike Steineman '92  took a trip to the Minnesota Zoo. The purpose of the trip was to observe the exhibits and animal enrichment as a part of the Zoo's ZOOMS Design Challenge. This year, students in grades 9-12 are competing to create a new wolf exhibit or two wolf enrichment devices.    

 

While at the zoo, the students were able to observe the wolves in their current exhibit, watch for animals using enrichment devices, and take a class taught by members of the Zoo's Education Department. The class had students working with enrichment devices and creating an exhibit for one of the Zoo's animals. Students then were able to take the information they learned from their All-Day Lab and apply it to the designs that they have been creating since the beginning of trimester two. 

 

The students presented their ZOOMS Exhibit Designs or ZOOMS Enrichment Devices on January 31.  These presentations were the culminating event in the Minnesota Zoo's ZOOMS Design Challenge.  Students used the Ryan STEM Center to 3D print items for both challenges as well as used some of the new printers to create detailed blueprints of both their exhibits and their enrichment devices. 

 

There were a total of 28 groups that created something during the challenge.  Of those, 14 have advanced to the next level by submitting their projects to the zoo for evaluation.

 

Special congratulations to the following groups that have advanced to the next level of the challenge!!

 

Clara McMahon '24 & Adri Silva ' 24

Jackson Moddrell '24, Liam Clift '24, Nate Leber '24, & Ali Kairolla '24

Ed Krinke '24, Matt French '24, & Jimmy Dunham '24

Sam Moeller '24, Jimmy Vrtis '24, Will Larson '24, & Ryan Hughes '24

Calla Massari '24, Becca Gutzmann '24, & Brodyn Bridgeman '24

Katie O'Donnell '24, Izzy Macheel '24, Liv Reeder '24, & Charlotte Stewart '24

Daisy Franzen '24, Tessa Lentsch '24, Cady Schlundt '24, & Claire Rom '24

 

Thomas Graves '24, Charles Crockett, & Soomin Cho '24

Trevor Aldrich '24, Gideon Teuber '24, Isaac Nesset '24, & Leif Skally '24

Cece Plasch '24, Izzy Donnelly '24, Lucio Rivera '24, & Katherine Nelson '24

Katie Chestovich '24, Regan Wilcox '24, & Izzy Hamel '24

Bridget Commers '24, Emma Butler '24, & Alec Warford '24

Michael Loeffler '24, Madelyn Hobbs '24, Tommy Nicolo '24, & Kayla Wegelewski '24

Theo Johnson '24, Reid Smith '24, Vincent Pham '24, & Gabe Zilka '24