Critter Cottages
Constructing animal homes and enhancing habitats with native plantings to attract specific species involves students in the SHERP goal of increasing local biodiversity, and replaces habitat lost when the school addition was built.
From creating natural structures, like piles of stones or brush piles along the trail, to constructing wooden squirrel, bat, and birdhouses, this type of project-based learning brings to life the concepts many students learn about in class lessons and books.
Designing our multilevel critter cottage required 4th grade students to figure out which level of this structure would best support the life cycle and habitat needs of a specific local invertebrate. Next, they learned where bugs go in the winter, studied charts about life cycles, food, predator/prey relationships, and shelter, and lastly, gathered and placed the materials needed by a specific bug or invertebrate.
After taking a peek at Falk’s green roof and learning more about both green roofs and living walls, 7th graders were invited to incorporate a small green roof or a living wall in their structure.
Wish #10:
We want our children to be aware of the space around them and share in its maintenance.