Learning and Lighthouses
By Sue Clark on May 31, 2009 in The Light Side 
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Once again, lighthouses provide a comprehensive learning experience for students. This time at Brendel Elementary School in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Combining history, geography, science and old fashioned creativity, fourth graders used everything from Pringles cans to toothpicks to build their favorite Michigan lighthouse.
According to teacher Sarah Amen in a story on the Flint Journal about this project, “These were phenomenal,” she said. “They went above and beyond. They loved it.” The students used social studies skills to research the history of their lighthouse, as well as explain where it was geographically and why it was built. To include science, the students made their lighthouses glow, finding different ways to insert light bulbs.
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Taylor Carto said she chose to replicate the Kalamazoo River Lighthouse, because after searching through pictures online she thought it was the prettiest. Like other students, Taylor was creative in choosing everyday materials to build her lighthouse, and used an old tissue box and some Styrofoam found in her basement for her creation.
Joey Baroski used Legos to build his lighthouse and an old Pringles potato chips can covered in construction paper for the tower.
Brooke Pfeiffer (in the picture) said she chose the Old Mission Lighthouse because she and her family visit her grandmother each year in Grand Traverse. “I thought it would be pretty interesting because I thought we could go see it when we went,” she said. Using an old box, a handful of toothpicks, an emptied upside-down saltshaker for the top of the lighthouse tower and a painted marshmallow, Brooke recreated the famous site from where her family vacations. “It’s really fun,” Brooke said.
The lighthouses are on display in the school’s library.
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