My students need real bugs encased in lucite, lady bug farms, ant farms, and butterfly larvae, along with materials to catch and keep live insects and bugs.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Remember the thrill of discovering and appreciating the natural world? My students love being scientists and explorers, using their senses and making connections. Right now, the weather is too cold for outdoor exploration of living things but that hasn't stopped their curiosity and creativity!
Our kindergarten classroom is buzzing with excitement.
We're embarking on an insect expedition to encourage the joy they find in our natural world.
Our kindergartners are growing up in one of the highest need areas in the country, but their desire for learning has pushed them to become some of the highest performing students in Detroit! Our students are curious, creative, and hardworking. They show compassion toward peers and adults and love to cooperate to reach their goals as learners and leaders.
Our school is a free public charter school that uses the culturally and historically rich landscape of Detroit, Michigan as the backdrop for project-based learning. We are committed to our students' families and to our neighborhood. Our staff believes that all students can achieve at high levels and our students' growth thus far is proof that zip code does not determine destiny.
My Project
We need lucite encased bugs - real bugs - as we embark on our insect expedition. Students are learning how to use their senses to become entomologists (insect experts). We have plastic bugs and magnifying lenses, but think of the joy and learning experience of looking through magnifiers at real bugs! It is very difficult to find live bugs in Michigan at this time of year. With lucite encased insects, students will be able to complete scientific drawings and journals. Students will also be able to observe live insect communities with ant farms and ladybug domes. These insects will truly provide a hands-on experience when the winter weather does not allow it.
As the weather warms, students will catch,inspect, and sometimes keep live insects, drawing on their experiences in the classroom to make additional observations and connections. They will hatch butterflies and free them into our school gardens.
Your donations will make it possible for science to live joyfully in our classroom during the winter season.
Studying insects challenges our students to engage in the work of real scientists.
The cooperative environment allows students to work with compassion, responsibility, and commitment to their own learning and the learning of their classmates. Instilling a love of their world through insect exploration helps our students to become leaders and keepers of our earth.
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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. Brophy and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.