I love to share my passion for wildlife with my students and the second graders I teach are fascinated by all of it. Every year, my students study beautiful, beneficial bugs, like butterflies and ladybugs. And, every year, something crazy cool happens, because I collect our creatures from the wild. We find something that has been parasitized!
Aphid mummies and zombie caterpillars really pique their interest, so they want to read about and research these unfortunate hosts.
However, there is often a struggle to see who will get one of the five iPads in my room. My students are curious and eager to learn, especially when it comes to animals and the natural world. Our school is located in a small, rural town and the wildlife is diverse. Sadly, many of the invertebrates that control crop pests and pollinate plants are misunderstood. My students are the future of this farming community and I want them to be well-informed and learn to appreciate the beneficial role bugs play in an ecosystem.
My Project
For the past six years, my students have participated in a symbolic migration, as we begin each year learning about monarch butterflies. With student iPads, my kids can use the “Journey North for Kids” website to read stories, view videos, pictures and slideshows, as well as look at the data maps with their own monarch sightings. We raise, tag and release monarchs each year. This year, I plan to have my students collect data for Monarch Health, so we can help track the spread of a protozoan parasite, OE. We will use the planter box to attract butterflies, bees and beetles to our garden by planting milkweeds, dill and sunflowers.
We will have a playground BioBlitz!
The kids will use the sweep net to collect and observe the insects that visit our garden and then use the pocket lens attachments to create macro images of them before releasing the bugs. We will upload the images to Citizen Science sites, such as iNaturalist, Project Noah and the Lost Ladybug Project. They can then use the iPads to read an unlimited supply of insect books on awsome sites, like Epic! Books For Kids. I always have my students take part in the Lost Ladybug Project at the end of the school year. We have submitted 7 ladybug species from our playground in the last few years. They are enthralled when a wasp emerges from a pupa that was supposed to contain a lady beetle. I point out the aphid mummies on the plants and the kids can’t wait to learn more about the wild world of parasitic wasps. Engaging my students in these real Citizen Science projects will not only teach them about past findings, but could possibly lead to them making a discovery of their own.
Apple iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi - tablet - 128 GB - 7.9'
• Best Buy Education
$399.99
3
$1,199.97
OtterBox Defender Series for iPad Mini 4 - Pro Pack - ProPack 'Each' - protective case for tablet
• Best Buy Education
$44.30
3
$132.90
Earthbox Early Learning Site Pack
• Kaplan Early Learning Company
$110.46
1
$110.46
Pocket Lens - iPhone Lens 2-in-1, Camera Lens for Smartphones, Macro and Wideangle, Fits iPhone X and all Earlier, iPads, Samsung, Google Phones, Alternative to Olloclip, Comes With Waterproof Pouch
• Amazon Business
$12.99
3
$38.97
Net, Insect and Larvae Collecting
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$33.75
1
$33.75
Zombie Snails
• AKJ Education
$16.50
1
$16.50
Insects As Parasites
• Amazon Business
$9.38
1
$9.38
The Secret of the Scuba Diving Spider... and More!
• AKJ Education
$8.54
1
$8.54
Zombie Caterpillars (Zombie Animals: Parasites Take Control!)
• Amazon Business
$8.15
1
$8.15
Jewel Wasps Take Over! (Insects: Six-legged Nightmares)
• Amazon Business
$8.15
1
$8.15
Interdependence of Species
• AKJ Education
$7.30
1
$7.30
Materials cost
$1,574.07
Vendor shipping charges
$3.38
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$23.61
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$1,631.06
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$287.83
Total project goal
$1,918.89
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$1,918.89
2 Donors
-$1,818.89
Donations toward project cost
-$1,546.06
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$272.83
match offer
-$100.00
Match offer toward project cost
-$85.00
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mrs. Womack and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
