My students need praying mantis eggs, praying mantis nursery, bug identifying and catching tools, books about insects, science journaling materials, and cart to hold tools.
We have over 90 great gardeners in our gardening club; however, all 310 students can participate during school hours in gardening if their teacher chooses. Another teacher and I started up our school garden club last year, Lincoln Green Thumbs. We meet up to two times a week to learn about gardening, composting, conservation, cooking with our produce, etc. Our small southern Indiana school is a school-wide Title I facility in which funds are limited. Our school is made of kindergarteners through fifth graders. We have two special education classes and fifteen regular education classes. Our community has a 40% obesity rate, and we're working hard to change that starting with our students! Therefore, we are teaching our students how and why to grow their own food along with conservation of our nature environments.
My Project
Insects are very important to nature, particularly for us- our gardens and outdoor learning environment. The Lincoln Green Thumbs (after school garden club students) have created and tend to two large gardens, an orchard, and a Student-Centered Nature Learning Environment for our entire student body. Teaching my garden students more about why insects are important by introducing benefits of the insects in our gardens and nature environments and how we can provide and attract them to our gardens and nature environments. Educational scaffolding is necessary for instruction due to the fact that there are kindergarteners through fifth-graders in my after school garden club. They already know that bees make honey and bees and other insects are important for pollination of crops and wildflowers, but there is much more to their importance. Decomposing organic matter; protecting our plants, fruits, and vegetables by weakening or killing garden pests; and just enjoying their beauty in general are a few of the ideas that I would like to expose them to.
Because some insects are so important for our gardens, I would like to focus on creating a range of insect habitats.
All of these activities easily follow our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) standards and will be easily replicated and used in theri home environments. Adding a half acre Monarch Butterfly habitat which will include many wildflowers and Milkweed, planting other native plants in our Student-Centered Nature Learning Environment and gardens, and digging a small pond will help us attain this goal. Identifying the insects in our nature environments will help us to know what other insect habitats that we need to add. To be perfectly honest, kids love to play with dirt and bugs!! So, they will love identifying these little creatures at school and home with their very own tools.
Nature Bound Bug Catcher with Habitat Bucket and 7 Piece Nature Exploration Set
• Amazon Business
$19.99
5
$99.95
Blue Hills Studio SC8MCDW-12-S Storage Cart 8-Drawer (Wide) with 2-Shelf Multi-Colored
• Amazon Business
$90.39
1
$90.39
Kangaroo's Insect Bug Adventure Set; 18 Pc Backyard Exploration Kit
• Amazon Business
$15.90
5
$79.50
SainSmart Jr. Bug Critter Cage Magnifying Bug Viewer, Science Nature Exploration Toys Insect Explore (10 PCS)
• Amazon Business
$19.59
4
$78.36
Praying Mantis Nursery Kit
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$62.95
1
$62.95
Nature Bound Bug Catcher Critter Barn Habitat for Indoor/Outdoor Insect Collecting with Light Kit
• Amazon Business
$8.49
6
$50.94
Outdoor Toys for Kids - Easter Basket Stuffer Adventure Kids Outside Childrens Toys Binoculars Flashlight Compass Whistle Magnifying Glass Backpack Exploration Kit Camping Birthday Gift for Boy Girls
• Amazon Business
$24.91
2
$49.82
Backyard Safari Cargo Vest
• Amazon Business
$14.28
3
$42.84
Arteza Dry Erase Markers, White Board Pens, 12 Colors, Multicolor, Set of 48
• Amazon Business
$19.68
2
$39.36
Praying Mantis Amazing Bugs Kit (with egg case and fruit flies)
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$33.07
1
$33.07
Insect Palace Bee and Bug Home Insect Hotel
• Amazon Business
$29.00
1
$29.00
Insect Lore Live Ladybug Growing Kit Toy - Baby Ladybug Larvae to Adult Ladybugs -SHIP NOW
• Amazon Business
$24.99
1
$24.99
X-ACTO School Pro Classroom Electric Pencil Sharpener, Blue, 1 Count (1670)
• Amazon Business
$24.87
1
$24.87
Backyard Safari Field Binocs
• Amazon Business
$8.04
3
$24.12
The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Insects: A Natural History and Identification Guide to Beetles, Flies, Bees, wasps, Springtails, Mayflies, ... Crickets, Bugs, Grasshoppers, Fleas, Spide
• Amazon Business
$23.45
1
$23.45
VIPITH 4 Packs Colorful Kids Telescopic Butterfly Net, Extendable 34 Inches and Anti Slip Grip, Perfect for Catching Bugs Insect Small Fish
• Amazon Business
$10.98
2
$21.96
Gardirect Natural Insect Hotel, Bee and Butterfly House, Large Size (14-3/4'' Tall x 8'' Wide)
• Amazon Business
$21.95
1
$21.95
Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids)
• Amazon Business
$15.98
1
$15.98
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback))
• Amazon Business
$14.26
1
$14.26
Scientific Explorer Backyard Kit
• Amazon Business
$13.99
1
$13.99
Insect (DK Eyewitness Books)
• Amazon Business
$13.69
1
$13.69
Big Book of Bugs
• Amazon Business
$13.49
1
$13.49
The Big Book of Bugs
• Amazon Business
$12.20
1
$12.20
National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America
• Amazon Business
$11.57
1
$11.57
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Bugs (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)
• Amazon Business
$9.50
1
$9.50
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Insects: Find Adventure! Go Outside! Have Fun! Be a Backyard Insect Inspector! (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorer Field Guide)
• Amazon Business
$9.09
1
$9.09
Backyard Safari Field Binocs
• Amazon Business
$8.04
1
$8.04
Bugs A to Z
• Amazon Business
$4.22
1
$4.22
Materials cost
$1,183.99
Vendor shipping charges
$9.60
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$17.76
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$1,241.35
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$219.06
Total project goal
$1,460.41
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$1,460.41
7 Donors
-$660.20
Donations toward project cost
-$650.75
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$9.45
match offer
-$694.82
Match offer toward project cost
-$590.60
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. Hooten and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
