Here’s how Gordon Bush Elementary used April the giraffe to teach students

A local school librarian decided to use the daily live video feeds of a pregnant giraffe named April to teach her students.

Animal Adventure Park, a privately-owned New York zoo, started livestreaming from April’s enclosure in February. Librarian Donna Cameron said students at Gordon Bush Elementary would tune in every day with her in the library to discuss April’s progress.

“With all of the excitement going on about April the giraffe and when she was going to have her baby, I decided to explore April’s daily activities with my students,” she said in an email.

Through the lessons, Cameron said students learned about giraffes.

When April finally gave birth April 15, more than a million viewers were watching. Cameron said many of her students missed the delivery because school was closed for spring break. But they returned April 17 to a birthday party for the calf, a celebration that Cameron said she had promised the students.

She brought balloons that read “baby boy” and snacks like cupcakes with blue icing to the party.

“The kids were very excited,” Cameron said.

There is currently a contest to choose a name for the calf online at nameaprilscalf.com.

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Here’s how Gordon Bush Elementary used April the giraffe to teach students."