"Critters and Caterpillars" Zoologist for the day hands-on event

School:: WISE Pre-K
Subject:: Teaching Quality
Teacher:: Makayla Esquivel
Students Impacted:: 120
Grade:: Pre-K
Date:: October 7, 2024

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

The St. Joe Community Foundation - $679.64

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 145

The availability of a grant to fund such an activity can ensure that all students have access to this valuable learning experience, regardless of their background or resources. It also provided the opportunity to enhance classroom materials, tools, and resources to enrich the students’ understanding of science and nature. As students observe the butterflies, they can describe what they see, boosting their vocabulary and language skills. They used terms like “caterpillar,” “chrysalis,” “metamorphosis,” and “wings,” which helps build their understanding of key scientific concepts and improves their ability to communicate complex ideas.

Nonies Ark

Interacting with small exotic animals sparked curiosity in children, encouraging them to ask questions and learn more about these creatures and their habitats. It made science feel real and exciting, rather than abstract or distant, helping them connect with the natural world in a more tangible way.

Original Grant Overview

Goal

The goal of this grant is to bring hands-on interaction and connection between young students and wildlife. Pre-k curriculum teaches students about animals, nature, habitats, and life cycles. What a great experience to be able to allow children to interact with and touch real-life animals in the student's environments where they feel most comfortable. Students will learn about the needs of animals like what they eat, where they live, how long they live and so much more. Each class will receive a butterfly kit with 5 caterpillar's. They will get to observe the life cycle and watch step by step what happens. Releasing the butterflies at the end of the project brings the understanding of the full cycle.

What will be done with my students

None's Ark will bring 7 animals for the students to interact with. She will present various information about the habitats, diets and lifecycles of the animals. She will spend one hour with each group allowing students to touch and take pictures with the animals. These groups will be 30 students or less to get the most out of the experience. Nonie and her animals will travel over two days to meet our student's needs in small group settings.

Benefits to my students

The knowledge learned during the hands-on event will be taken back to the classroom and discussed throughout the curriculum units. A child's natural curiosity leads to their exploration of science concepts and it extends to social students, language, math, and more. Due to some of ours student's disabilities, they need extra time and attention to process, so the small group setting inside our school where they are comfortable will allow them more opportunities than other experiences outside the school. This will be a huge benefit for students to make connections from this hands 'on experience.

Budget Narrative

Nonie's ark will come on two days to insure maximum times with each group. She will hold two sessions on each day. The students will spend 1 hour learning about the animals. The budget includes Nonie's travel.

Each classroom (11) will receive one starter kit of caterpillars to watch and release as butterflies, an extra kit will be purchases in case some caterpillars arrive unable to use.