UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect the correct name of a student in one of the photos.

Middle Gate Math/Science Specialist Jill Bracksieck welcomed classes to an Earth Week Museum that she set up in her room on April 22.

“They have been loving it,” said Bracksieck, about mid-way through the day.

Classes took turns visiting the “museum.”

Bracksieck shared that she had the idea for the museum after noting how excited students are to look at all the collected items and artifacts she has. So she gathered all of her plant and animal artifacts and created stations for students to browse and learn from.

Some of the favorite things for students to learn about that day included a live bearded dragon, preserved arachnids, and preserved animal skulls, which students were asked to determine whether they had belonged to a carnivore, an herbivore, or an omnivore.

Another favorite “museum” display was a large chunk of a tree trunk. Bracksieck said students were asked to estimate how old the tree had been by counting the rings they could see on the trunk.

Many students spoke with eagerness and excitement as they made their way around the room, pointing out items to classmates, and asking questions about the stations before heading out to return to their next class lesson.

Education Editor Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.