Picture an excited 7-year-old proudly holding a butterfly that she found on the way to school. Her friend reaches over to touch it and a wing breaks off! Sometimes nature is so fragile that it is hard to examine closely. We need durable specimen that can survive the curiosity of 2nd graders.
This group of second graders is made up of many nationalities.
Many speak English as a second language. It is a heterogeneous class full of enthusiastic learners. Our school building is currently being rebuilt, so we are located in a cluster of temporary buildings in a parking lot. We miss being near our old location, which had a beautiful forested playground that was teeming with nature.
My Project
The best thing about receiving durable nature collections is that each child will be able to examine insects and shells closely without having to worry about damaging anything. The "plastomounted" insects in the kit will appear as they did when they were living, but they will not be desperately trying to wiggle away and escape. Actually holding and examining seashells will give the children much more information than if they just look at pictures in a book. Science will be more real. Students will be drawing and labeling the specimen. They will be comparing and contrasting them and recording observations. They will even be using them as inspiration for poetry and creative writing.
Insects are all around us.
They have intricate adaptations that are fascinating and give clues about their lives. But who wants to look at a roach that is loose in the house or has died on the floor? The nature collections from this project will allow children to appreciate nature by giving them opportunities to safely examine specimen. They will become better scientists as they improve their observation skills, and they will walk away with a new perspective of the world around them.
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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. Craddock and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.