Do you remember the first time you saw a butterfly? My students are enamored with butterflies, so we created a butterfly garden.
My students attend a large (over 1100 students) Title One school in Northern California.
97% of our students receive free or reduced lunches. Our students are emphatic and resilient....a challenge and a joy to teach, but worth every minute. Our biggest challenge is having them connect to something bigger than themselves and understand that their actions impact the environment and life around them.
My Project
Last year, through a grant and donations, my fourth graders were able to establish a butterfly garden on campus. The students were enamored and fascinated by butterflies, so we decided to attract as many of them as we could. The students began to chart and draw the wildlife they saw....our garden grew and so did our knowledge. We have yet to "grow" any butterflies because we had to fist establish a habitat to support them....a good lesson, but hard to wait. The plants we ordered will help to support the painted lady butterflies and the nets will help us be able to release them later.
The garden has enabled me to take the two dimensional concepts we are learning in our textbooks and make them come to life....very powerful to watch the students so excited about learning.
Nearly all 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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