
This spring, Oak Meadow Middle Schoolers embarked on an interdisciplinary educational journey that began with a project entitled Preserving Paradise. Each student selected a South Florida ecosystem to research, diving into the causes of biodiversity loss and, more importantly, developing thoughtful solutions to restore habitats and protect biodiversity while balancing human and environmental needs.
Midway through the project, students presented their research and proposals to Dr. Alison Hamilton, a Professor of Environmental Science at UMass Lowell. Dr. Hamilton provided insightful feedback and returned a week later to hear students’ final presentations. She was impressed by how thoughtfully they had incorporated her suggestions into their work.
Students complemented their project work with a read-aloud of The Talking Earth by Jean Craighead George. This novel follows a young Seminole girl on a journey through the Everglades, as she seeks to reconcile her passion for scientific discovery with the Indigenous wisdom of her elders.
Their research and reading prepared students for their spring trip to South Florida–an immersive field study of the ecosystems, habitats and organisms they had studied. In Everglades National Park, students explored the sawgrass marshes and freshwater sloughs via tram and airboat, and hiked in the pine rocklands. In the Keys, Middle Schoolers kayaked through a mangrove forest and visited a turtle hospital dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick and injured sea turtles. On their final day, they had the unforgettable experience of snorkeling on a coral reef. As one student enthusiastically declared, “I hope this hour never ends!”
The trip offered meaningful, real-world connections to their classroom studies—along with plenty of adventure and opportunities to step outside their comfort zones.
When they returned to Oak Meadow, Middle Schoolers shared their experiences with their first grade reading buddies and collaborated with them to write and illustrate stories set in the ecosystems they had studied. Mentoring younger students is a core element of a Montessori education–one that our Middle Schoolers take to heart. Teaching others deepens their own understanding while nurturing a sense of leadership, pride, and purpose.
By interweaving Science, Humanities and exploration of the broader world, Oak Meadow Middle School brings learning to life and infuses it with joy.