Pamela Scarpella

Scarpella’s winning program, “Wetlands Adventure in Our Backyard”, is a science project that utilizes the wetlands area that is right in the backyard of the school. Through the program, students at Indian Lake Elementary School will be able to learn by exploring and investigating instead of obtaining information from a textbook or video. The hands-on project will introduce students to a wetlands habitat and allow them to explore and master science standards during the process. Students in the program will be given tools to investigate and observe the animals and plant life of the habitat. They will use microscopes and binoculars to view microscopic animal life and view different types of birds, turtles, salamanders, and frogs that live in the wetlands. The program will be evaluated by how well the students perform and from projects and assessments administered by their teachers. Not only will students benefit from the project, but all teachers, parents and members of the community will be able to observe the wetland area. Scarpella, who lives in Russells Point, hopes the program will encourage students to become more engaged in their learning process.