Zoology Adds Wild Fun to Science

Three years ago, the zoology course was added to Mater Dei’s already robust science curriculum. The course addition resulted from feedback in a student survey. Year one saw 40 students and has since doubled in size with 82 in the course in the 2021-22 school year. The course is open to students in grades 10-12 who have satisfied a prerequisite in Biology. Most of this year’s class are juniors and seniors.

Mrs. Kristeen Stolo, who holds a BS in Zoology from Cal Poly Pomona, serves as the Zoology teacher and was thrilled to bring this new course to Mater Dei.

“When I was asked to create the zoology class, I was very excited to bring this subject to Mater Dei. Zoology is my passion and I never thought I would be able to teach it at a high school level. I appreciate that Mater Dei gave me the opportunity to teach this material when most high schools would not. To be able to share the animals and their adaptations with the students is truly a pleasure,” she said.

Students study all the different groups of animals starting with protists (not animals but similar to the ancestors of animals) and ending with mammals. Course work includes dissections, handson labs including making models, coding spheros, and “creative” ecological surveys (in lieu of being in nature students classify different cars in the parking lot.) The class also enjoys working with live animals such as crickets and fish.

Charlie McGee ‘22, an aspiring zoologist, was thrilled to visit with tarantula.

Mrs. Stolo shared that her students’ favorite aspect of the zoology class is something she named Freaky Feature Friday. She zooms in on an adaptation of an animal, has the students guess how that feature functions, and the name of the animal. After she reveals the animal, the students enjoy a short video.

“When I ask at the end of the year, what their favorite part is about the class, that always comes up,” she said.

During the course’s inaugural year, Mrs. Stolo took her students on a trip to the Santa Ana Zoo. The past two years of restrictions diverted that activity, so Mrs. Stolo and the Science Department got creative and brought the zoo to Mater Dei with a live reptile show in February. The visit enabled students to view and touch most of the animals including a five-foot Burmese python named “Honey,” “Jaba the frog” (an African bullfrog), “Tiny Tina” (a 30 lb. tortoise), and baby American alligator named “Shira.” Some even held a tarantula and a corn snake.

Prehistoric Pets brought several “friends” for our students to enjoy in person.

“[My students] loved this activity. They had the biggest smiles when they left, said heartfelt thank yous to me and to the presenter.”

Next year, Mrs. Stolo plans to return to the Santa Ana Zoo and make the reptile show a regular course tradition. “I have a feeling the reptile show will be on a list of students’ favorites just like Freaky Feature Friday.” Thank you, Mrs. Stolo for sharing your passion for zoology with your students. It is truly exciting to think of the career paths this course is inspiring.