My students need materials to support a comprehensive and multidisciplinary study of ladybugs which will include participating in The Lost Ladybug Project.
The ladybug shows that something tiny can have a huge impact. Children need opportunities to both connect with the little things around us while becoming part of something bigger and greater than ourselves. The Lost Ladybug Project brings all of this together.
My children are very bright and inquisitive 4- and 5- year olds in an urban New Jersey community.
While many do not get opportunities to explore nature at home, I am developing a curriculum that taps into the innate connection that children have with nature to nurture their development in all areas including literacy, science, math, social emotional, physical, cognitive and language development. They have eagerly embraced studies of monarch butterflies and gardening and are ready for the next step in becoming citizen scientists.
My Project
My goal is for the students in my class to be citizen scientists and participate in the Lost Ladybug Project. As a quality early childhood program, we introduce and reinforce skills through multi-disciplinary studies that are interesting and relevant to the children. The materials funded by this grant will bring the Ladybug study into all areas of the classroom.
We will read stories about ladybugs and play ladybug themed letter and rhyming games. The life cycle models will help reinforce vocabulary and sequencing skills and the puzzles with develop problem solving. We will use costumes in dramatic play and the ladybug beanbags to develop throwing and catching skills. While most mail-order ladybugs as well as the ones found on our campus are Asian, the live specimen we obtain with this grant are a native species and will help us compare the difference between different species of ladybugs. All the while they will learn the crucial role this tiny creature plays in our ecosystem.
At an individual level, I will have the materials necessary to use a relevant and interesting study to foster the academic, physical and social emotional development of the children in my class.
On a local level, families and the community will be inspired to stop and look at the small creatures around us. This project is unique because it affords us the opportunity to be a part of something bigger- a nationwide initiative to track ladybug populations.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Deak and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.