I teach 1st and 2nd grade (I move with my first graders every other year) and have an after school nature club for grades K-5. My school is a high need school with 71% free/reduced lunch.
I have created a large butterfly/herb/vegetable garden complete with bird feeders, bird baths, and tables and chairs. All of the students in the school love spending time in the garden regardless of their age or abilities. So far, I have purchased most of the materials that are currently in the garden. I will continue to solicit parents and support the garden with my own money. However, there are some dream items I would like that I cannot afford at this time.
I need compasses for each child to provide hands on experience with navigation, direction and map reading skills. I would like to add some microscope slides of plant and animal material so that the students can be awed and amazed by viewing objects up close, such as butterfly wings and feathers. No real Nature Club can thrive without field guides. Fandex makes beautiful full color identification cards that cover all of the elements my students would encounter on the school grounds. Last, but not least, I have chosen several outstanding science trade books that are recommended on the Notable Trade Book List.
You will make a difference in a child's life by helping to create a sense of wonder and stewardship in a young person. Rachel Carson, a famous author, scientist and naturalist, said that ALL children need an adult in their life to expose them to the wonders in nature. It is from this experience that stewardship, caring and responsibility for their earth can grow. Exceptional children especially thrive in an outdoor classroom because they can be successful scientists simply by observing.
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