High pitched screaming and a frantic reaction is often the response that I get from showing my students an insect. Many of my students are afraid of bugs and believe that bugs are bad.
My kindergarten students are located in central Florida from a small community.
Our school is a Title 1 school which means we have a very large population of students that qualify for free or reduced breakfast/lunch program. About 83% of our students qualify for this program. Many of the families we serve at our school are single parent, migrant workers, and working poor. There is no money for extras in these families.
My Project
"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar"
-Bradley Millar
This quote inspires me to introduce and expose my students to beneficial insects. Items that I have asked for in this project will allow them to observe the life cycles of many insects. They will see caterpillars eating and growing, spinning chrysalis', then emerging as Painted Lady Butterflies. The students will see a small brown praying mantis egg case produce hundreds of tiny praying mantis. The lady bug larvae look nothing like the mature lady bug as they grow and change. Praying mantis and lady bugs are released into our vegetable garden to prey on harmful insects.
Providing the children with an opportunity to watch tadpoles change into frogs is another exciting activity. They learn that frogs are beneficial amphibians eating mosquito larvae. Using the tadpoles allows the children to observe minute details on the tadpoles.
I want to teach my students that we have beneficial insects in our environment and they are necessary in our world.
The items that I have asked for will expose my students to the life cycles of many insects and the life cycle of frogs. By using these items in my classroom, I will be changing their opinions of creepy crawly creatures!
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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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. Hester and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
