Help me give my students the equipment necessary for our classroom pets Duke (turtle) and Ruby (bunny). Classroom pets are a big responsibility, and we would appreciate items to keep them happy, healthy, and safe.
My 6th grade students love activities that are interactive, engaging, and fun. They enjoy working on projects and activities that are hands-on and meaningful to them.
When I provide them with an engaging project that they create themselves, they blow it out of the park; they learn so much from the process because they have ownership.
I have been an educator for over 13 years. In my experience, students learn and grow from curriculum that is hands-on, engaging and fun.
Currently, I have a "living classroom." I believe that pets in the classroom help students with social skills, teach responsibility, and build self-esteem. We have an air garden that hangs on our ceiling, a mud turtle named Duke and a bunny rabbit, Ruby.
I am currently teaching 6th grade science to six different classes. That is 180 students!
My Project
Our classroom supports some live animals. We have a Three Striped Mud Turtle, Duke, and a Lion Head rabbit named Ruby. These classroom pets are near and dear to us. Students enjoy watching and observing the pets in the classroom. They give Ruby the rabbit lots of love and cuddles and assist in the responsibility of caring for and maintaining the health of both pets.
We would appreciate the items in our cart to help with the over all care of our class pets to keep them healthy and happy.
Our classroom pets do require responsibility in the classroom as well as out of the classroom. Turtles are quite messy and require a tank cleaning twice per month. Filters, gravel cleaners and water conditioners are just a few things that will make them live longer and allow for optimal viewing. In addition, we needed a smaller aquarium to transport Duke to our 1st grade "buddy" classroom when we are off track (about 12 weeks per year). Our current aquarium is great for our classroom, but it is a real hassle to move.
Having classroom pets is an amazing opportunity for students to connect with animals and give them the experience of caring for something or someone other than themselves.
In the past two years of having classroom pets, I have seen students make connections with animals more easily than they do with other students. Often times, the students who are introverted and don't feel confident or comfortable around their peers are the students who form the strongest bonds with the pets. I have had a few experiences with students with autism that melted my heart.
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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. Oettli and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
