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What’s that smell? 

To the delight of a bunch of 9-year-olds, that funny question doubled as a legitimately important science lesson on a recent field trip to Point Defiance Park. 

More than 230 third graders engaged their sense of smell – along with their other senses  –  to explore outdoor learning in their city. Led by high school students who have a taste for teaching and science, the budding scientists explored their way across the park and Point Defiance Zoo, using newfound skills to get to know nature and Tacoma. 

All the activities and experiments were designed by students at three high schools: Industrial Design Engineering and art (IDEA), School of the Arts (SOTA) and Science and Math Institute (SAMI). They did the work during their “mini term,” a chance to dive deep into one topic over the course of three weeks and explore teaching and science as potential career paths. To prepare, they studied third-grade science standards and developed lessons before jumping into live teaching. 

“It’s a crash course in teaching for them,” said SAMi environmental science teacher Chelsea Brown. “And even if they’re not ultimately interested in careers that have to do with teaching or science, this is still a good testing ground for them.” 

For the younger students, the focus of their “day camp” is getting connected to the city and science. 

“The goal is to get the younger students engaged in learning in Tacoma and empower them to think about what actions we can take as scientists to make Tacoma a better place,” said Jen Crump, science instructional facilitator with Tacoma Public Schools.  

Senses and sensibility 

At the aquarium’s touch tank, students reached out to rub sea urchins and hermit crabs and think about how a creature’s scales or shell could help it survive. A walk around the rose garden spurred conversation about the way plants smell to either attract or repel other species.  

A game of hide and seek in the walking trails inspired talks about the value of an animal’s ability to camouflage itself from predators. A silent hike to identify sounds in the woods helped students think about the role of hearing for animals that use echolocation, like bats.  

As SAMI freshman and “camp counselor” Silvia Medina helped her “camper” take temperature reading of different objects in the park, she seemed like a natural teacher, impressed with the knowledge and curiosity of the younger students.  

“They’re so smart! They have so many questions,” she noted.  

Larchmont Elementary teacher Jonie Harris, whose students participated in the two-day camp, wondered how they envision themselves impacting Tacoma over their lifetime and hoped this camp would impact their perspective. 

“I want them to see that they can make a difference in Tacoma, and to understand how nature adapts as it needs to,” she said.  

Students from Larchmont, Roosevelt, Franklin, Birney and Reed elementary schools spent two full school days with their SAMi student teachers. The day camps were supported by a grant from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.