MARION — Sippican School students learned a little about two topics at once during an assembly on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

Members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra presented “The Orchestra as an Ecosystem” to second through sixth grade students. The event is part of the orchestra’s “Learning in Concert” series.

Students learned about how different instruments in an orchestra work off of each other and blend together to create a piece of music.

The role of these instruments was compared to the roles that animals have in their respective ecosystems.

Students learned about salt marsh ecosystems and how animals rely on each other to survive.

The assembly was led by New Bedford Symphony Orchestra education specialist Adam Jefferys.

Jefferys said the Learning in Concert program pairs a different topic in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with music each year in order to teach the students multiple topics and form connections between the two.

“The idea is to get kids involved in classical music but also engage them in other topics,” said Jefferys.

In the future, Jefferys will be visiting classrooms to lead hands-on activities that will teach students more about ecosystems.

He said he hopes the program makes kids think about classical music differently while also piquing their interest in other topics.

One example used during the assembly was the symbiotic relationship between small birds and crocodiles. Certain birds eat meat out of the teeth of crocodiles, who are receiving a free teeth cleaning in the process.

This was compared to melodies that work off of each other to create a song.

Along with learning a lot, students in attendance were able to listen to a trio of orchestra members playing multiple songs.