In what is likely to become a core childhood memory, McDonogh School’s third-graders flipped the script to become zoo educators rather than students.
Through a partnership with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore’s Signature Species Conservation Program, the students studied four endangered animals to understand why they are at risk and how humans can protect them. According to a press release from McDonogh, the students studied the African penguin, the African elephant, the chimpanzee, and the red panda.
On Friday, April 17, the students will share what they know with zoo visitors as part of Party for the Planet, the weekend-long event honoring Earth Day 2026. The event focuses on protecting wildlife and their habitats. From 10 a.m.–12 p.m., the third-graders will host two information tables. They will be ready to answer questions, talk about the endangered animals, and make the case for why they are worth protecting.
Students began the project in September with a field trip to the zoo, where they learned about the four endangered species and what conservation means. They learned about what the zoo does to promote conservation around the world, and why these four animals matter. The zoo visit coincided with their classroom study of animal classification in science, giving real-world meaning to their in-school learning.
Each homeroom researched one animal, reading books, articles, and meeting over Zoom with zoo educators throughout the school year. Students created posters and pamphlets to use when they speak to zoo visitors on Friday.
The project is a collaboration with Greatest Good McDonogh, the school’s civic impact program designed to get students involved in service, philanthropy, community engagement, and social innovation. For the third-graders presenting on April 17, their research and writing are helping them make a difference in the world, their classroom learning having real-life impact.
