My students need live bug kits! They need silkworm eggs, food, a learning kit, an aquarium, several books and colorful highlighters.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. B.'s classroom raised $328
This project is fully funded
My Students
Did you know that silkworms are the only domesticated insect? They're also bugs that have a history linked to human myth and culture. I teach ancient history and am always on the look out for something that will grab the attention of 120 eleven year-olds whose idea of nature is concrete & pigeons.
My 6th graders are new middle schoolers trying to find their way through busy hallways, demanding classes and teenage life.
It's not the easiest time for them. Things that seem irrelevant to adults, turn out to be an emotional roller coaster ride for them. Many of these children have to contend with great difficulties at school and at home. All of these factors make for huge distractions. In my classroom, it's my job to fight for their attention and on occasions, give them a way to escape the stress of the mysterious teenage world. In order to do this, it means that both myself and my students need to get creative.
My Project
In my classroom, we study ancient history which is a topic that many students this age find difficult to touch. Most of them feel so far removed from the lives that were lived so long ago. In order to gain their attention, interest and appreciation I am seeking out a means of bringing a little something special into the classroom: wiggling, growing, silk-binding, fluttering bugs. These silkworms represent human ingenuity, trade, culture and mythology. As a class we will attempt to raise these creepy crawly things together. We will watch and observe their their metamorphosis and enjoy their short lifespan. The materials I have requested include silkworm eggs, food, housing, children books, and highlighters. These materials will help inspire us to study at how human technology and the natural environment have affected the development of history. This is particularly important when we study China's ancient past. We'll do this by studying myth, trade, market demand and cultural diffusion.
With these materials, my students and I will explore the delicate life history of the silkworm and be able to bring a little bit of nature into the classroom.
This will provide a great advantage to children who live in a city of concrete streets and brick buildings. It will also create an opportunity for them to see a piece of living history which will hopefully encourage their understanding of an ancient past.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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