SchoolArts - April 2007

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Circle No. 287 on Reader’s Service card.

Continued from page 41.

two days, which allows the fluoride in city water to evaporate.

The Fish Arrive!

I placed the castles in the thirty-eight aquariums along with water and a handful of aquarium gravel and put them in the school library so everyone could enjoy the project. The room buzzed with excitement as I placed three guppies in each aquarium. I also invited the local newspaper.

We kept the aquariums at school for a full week to give students time to practice feeding and changing the water. I kept a reserve of guppies to replace any that didn’t make it through the week. Everyone seemed to enjoy watching the little fish as they darted through the castle gate houses and other openings. One student’s guppies even had babies!

On Friday we snapped the lids on the plastic containers and sent them home with bags of fish food. (The second-grade teachers had previously sent a note home informing parents and giving the option of not receiving the fish as pets.)

Reflections

I can’t imagine how the PTO’s fifty dollars could have been better spent. The students were totally enthused with the project. The second-grade teachers also embraced the project which, in a real way, made connections to the unit they teach on caring and responsibility.

A comment the pet store owner casually made has stayed with me. He said the opportunity I have provided these students may become a lifetime hobby for some of them. What a wonderful thought.