Hatching a new course: Students learn about Agricultural and Natural Resources at EPHS

Across an otherwise quiet first-floor hallway in Eden Prairie High School, a soft peeping sound drifted through an open door. It was an early Tuesday morning, and students in Jack Roessler’s new Intro to Animal Care & Nutrition class were getting ready to start their observations of the week-old chicks they’d incubated and hatched. The goal: try to increase the time the chicks spent eating by introducing different factors into their environment, such as more food or attractively colored paper. Roessler gave instructions as students migrated to the sink to wash their hands before scooping up a few chicks and transferring them to smaller boxes for the 10-minute observation. “It’s novel,” he said, explaining why so many Eagles had signed up for his new course. There was an air of excitement as students moved to the enclosure to carefully corral the tiny birds.

“It’s a little intimidating to grab a chicken for the first time,” Roessler chuckled. But he hoped little else about his class was intimidating. The new agriculture course, part of the Natural & Applied Sciences Pathway at EPHS, was designed to teach students about basic animal science, anatomy, biology, genetics, nutritional needs and behavior. There were so many career opportunities in these fields, Roessler explained, and the class provided insight into those possibilities, from the Department of Natural Resources to forestry work and more. Plus, “a lot of students have an interest in veterinary sciences,” he said. Earlier in the term, students had built animal skeletons from pasta as part of an anatomy unit. Making the class hands-on and project-based was a priority for Roessler, as it made the environment welcoming and the material accessible to all students.

Across the classroom, students began their observations. At times, they needed to build up the walls of their boxes because the chicks were getting old enough to hop quite high. The once-quiet room filled with conversations about what students were seeing, mixed with laughter and questions for Roessler. A popular one was, “Can I hold a chick?” after students had finished their assignment.

At a table in the middle of the room, ninth grader Maya Singleton stood holding a calm, black-feathered chick. She smiled. In the class, “we get to explore and learn about different animals and how some bodies are different than others,” she said. Maya had heard the course was an opportunity to work with animals, and she wanted to give it a try. The research-based structure of the course gave her opportunities to build her collaboration skills and was a good way to learn, she said. Those hands-on experiences were something students would remember, Roessler explained, even if they didn’t end up choosing careers in the field.

But he hoped they might!  Roessler recently started an FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter at EPHS, and students are welcome to join the national career- and leadership-focused organization so long as they take part in an Agriculture and Natural Resources class. This November, at the club’s first Region IV FFA Leadership Development competition, ninth grader Najma Gure placed first out of 15 students in the Creed Speaking event and 12th grader Avery Jensen placed first out of 21 students in Employment Skills. Both students will compete at the state level in December, and if either place first again, they’ll represent Eden Prairie High School at the national level next fall. “This was a huge success for our first competitions,” Roessler said.

Though the first group of chicks have since gone to new homes in the area, there are still opportunities for students to take Agricultural and Natural Resources classes this year. As Roessler looks ahead to the future, he recognizes what high student interest has already proven: The department has “a lot of potential.”