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TEACHING

Fall 2023
MINNESOTA’S K–12 EDUCATION CONNECTIONTODAY MN ™

2023 MAITC Outstanding MME Seventh Graders Work

Teacher Award Together to Design 3D-Printed

Haley Madson Recognized for Agriculture Education Efforts Prosthetic for Pet Chicken

ing chicks, cultivating and germinating seeds, Minnetonka Public
and engaging her students in making foods Schools
such as ice cream and homemade bread. These Last spring, seventh
activities have enabled her to engage with graders in Dawn Soren-
students and teach in a practical way that rein- son’s technology
forces science, social students, reading and education class worked
listening. together to make life a
Haley’s curriculum and future plans little easier for Maple, a
include planning and developing a school local pet chicken beloved
garden that will be used to teach students by a Minnetonka Middle
about the plant life cycle and the challenges of School East family.
producing fresh produce. She is developing a During the winter,
plan to collaborate with the agriculture teacher Maple’s foot was caught
at Le Sueur-Henderson High School to enable in a fence, and she con-
engagement and service-learning opportuni- tracted frostbite, which
ties for students of a range of grade levels. ultimately led to the loss
Madson received a $500 stipend and of her claw.
Haley Madson, a first-grade teacher at St. had up to $1,500 of her related expenses After seeing the
Anne’s School in Le Sueur, MN has received paid to attend the National Agriculture in the effectiveness of the engineering design To follow the engineering design
the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Classroom (NAITC) Conference last June in process, she learned in Sorenson’s quarter process, students begin broadly, with a lot
2023 Outstanding Teacher Award. Orlando, Florida. one class, a seventh grader brought the of ideas and then combine the best aspects
Madson is an advocate for agricultural All Minnesota licensed K-12 educators project idea forward as a learning opportu- of each to refine their solutions. Students
education at St. Anne’s and uses her lessons who creatively integrate agricultural concepts nity for other students. In partnership with used the application Sketch Up to create 3D
to inspire students to think about how deeply into non-agricultural education classroom set- the family, Sorenson moved ahead with the renderings of their ideas, which were then
agriculture impacts their lives from a young tings are eligible for the Outstanding Teacher project for the class in quarter four. Students fabricated using a 3D printer.
age. Award. Applications are reviewed by a com- collaborated to build a prosthetic foot that Once the plastic models were created,
“I want my students to realize that when mittee of MAITC Foundation board members, might give Maple the ability to rejoin her Maple’s family helped her to try the differ-
learning about agriculture, they will be using who select the recipient each winter. flock. ent models.
reading, math, social studies, and science St. Anne’s is a national and state- To begin their research process, stu- The best-fitting and best working design
skills,” she says. “There is a connection accredited non-public catholic school serving dents studied current animal prosthetics for came from a group in Sorenson’s first hour
between agriculture and animals, the economy, students in grades pre-kindergarten through chickens and other animals, shared Soren- class. The students created a “rocker” design
the environment, technology, and overall way fifth grade. son. “They saw what was existing, so they that was inspired by existing prosthetics
of life. It is important to give students opportu- Congratulations Haley! could continue to refine their ideas.” Then, for dogs and horses, as well as from their
nities to explore those connections starting in Maple came to visit the class, along with observations of the way chickens walked.
elementary school.” fellow flock mate Priscilla. Students were “They then combined several ideas together
Haley has led her students in a variety of stanneslesueur.org able to observe both Maple’s and Priscilla’s
agriculture-themed activities including hatch- gait to inform their ideas. Continued on Page 3

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