Caterpillars and Kids, Children Preserving Our Wildlife
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Children Protecting The Living Things Around Us
It resonated with me strongly, knowing what I know about both caterpillars and kids. I have spent my professional life watching kids. I know their boundless curiosity, their innate desire to explore, and their fascination with critters and creepy-crawlies. I also recognize their inability to look ahead and see the results of their actions. I know that, unintentionally usually, children's exploration of tiny things can result in hurt for the creatures, and kids' reactions of surprise, confusion, and sometimes remorse.
On the few occasions when I have seen children deliberately hurt tiny creatures, it has usually been because they are fearful of what they don't understand, and no adult has ever helped them know their responsibility to the natural world around them. In this world where we humans are supposed to be the smartest species, it behooves us to help our children assume their rightful responsibilities of protecting the living things around us.
It will ultimately help our world, fragile as it is. But it will certainly help our children see themselves as part of something larger than themselves. It is the nature of young children to be egocentric. Slowly, through experiences and explicit teaching, they move to being able to appreciate others' needs and rights. In coming to understand, appreciate, and know the stories of living things around them, children develop what Rachel Carson called "a sense of wonder."
The ability to marvel at life processes, and to appreciate the many forms of beauty in our world, will sustain children through the routine or dreary parts of their lives. As we encourage children to explore with gentleness, and care for tiny creatures, they learn to control the impulse to smash and overpower, a very important kind of self-control indeed.
As we give them information and help them make connections between the caterpillar and the butterfly, we expand their understanding of the world around them. As we validate their curiosity and help them learn skills for studying nature, we aid their understanding of what is important. "No, you can't keep it," we say. "What would that caterpillar need to be healthy?" Slowly the child learns to put aside his own wants in favor of what is best for another, no matter how small.
So when you teach respect for all things, even something as small as the caterpillar, your child is coming to be a caring, compassionate person. Your child is also coming to see herself as part of the larger human community to whom is entrusted the care of this earth, and all the creatures on it.
Those are important lessons indeed, all coming from teaching your child not to step on a caterpillar.
USED WITH PERMISSION: C Growing Child 2009 Please feel free to forward this article to a friend. www.allthedaze.com
The images on this page are used via license purchased by myself Green Label Clip Art and are Copyrighted to Green Label.
Contents at a Glance
So true...
"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar." ~ Bradley Millar
Protecting Our Wildlife. How Can Kids Help?
Credit Source: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/kids/kids_help.html
How Can Kids Help?
You and your school: What can you do to help conserve rare, threatened, and endangered species and their habitats?
- Awareness and understanding - you and your community
- Habitat restoration
- Data gathering and monitoring
- Sustainable use of Earth's resources
- What You Can Do to Help Wildlife and Plants (a factsheet in pdf format)
- The National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitats program - Build homes for bats and birds, and have the project certified!
- National Geographic Explorer! website features the game "Fantastic Frogs" which shows that Frogs come in many colors, shapes and sizes, and do some amazing things.
- The Smokey Bear ad campaign is the longest running public service campaign in US History. Learn more about the history of the campaign, the "real" Smokey Bear, and Smokey's unique place in American culture.
- Participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Program.
For Educators
Endangered Means There is Still Time
Teacher Resources [HTML]
Free Resources for Teachers, Parents and Homeschoolers...
- So true...
- Protecting Our Wildlife. How Can Kids Help?
- Have a Wildlife Video Party
- Endangered Species - Save our Wildlife Colouring Book
- Support Our Wildlife on CafePress
- Google News
- Indulge yourself...
- Free Publications for Helping Parents and Educators Teach about Animals and the Environment
- Free Endangered Animal Related Printables and Ebooks
- St Aiden's Homeschool - Free Teaching Resources
- Follow St Aidens Homeschool on Twitter
- New Amazon Voting (Plexo)
- Find Furry Friends :)
- Related Lenses
- Search Amazon for your favorites
- Hi, thanks for visiting this page.
Have a Wildlife Video Party
A few good friends;
Lots of healthy snacks and refreshments;
Comfortable cushions to scatter on the floor;
Popcorn;
Method:
1. Invite your nearest and dearest for a wildlife video party.
2. Prepare lots of healthy snacks and refreshments.
3. Get comfy on your cushion, chair or bean bag. If it's chilly a little throw over your legs will also help :)
4. Settle down to watch the wonderful and fascinating world of these exquisite creatures that rely on man for protection.
5. After the movies think about ways you can help to conserve nature.
5. Most of all have fun knowing that what you have just achieved will have a positive impact on your world.
Endangered Species - Save our Wildlife Colouring Book
Endangered Species - Save our Wildlife Colouring Book
This picture book will introduce you to 21 endangered and threatened plants and animals found in the United States. Print the pages and use your crayons to bring to life oceans, swamps, deserts, islands and a variety of plants and animals. If we all work together, we can continue to share the earth with these fascinating and important species and enjoy them in the wild -- not only in the pages of books.
The plants and animals depicted here are not necessarily threatened by pesticides; however, they are representative of the many different species our program is protecting.
Credit Source: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/kids/kids_edu_mat.html
We hope that these materials will help you and your students learn more about endangered and threatened species.
- Why save endangered species? (teaching themes and text of our brochure)
- Biodiversity glossary for kids [PDF]
- Participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Program
- Endangered Species Information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hundreds of threatened and endangered species, each with its own "mini-home page" with biological information, graphics, and links to other locations! Just click on the asterisk after each species' name to reach its individual home page.
- The Endangered Species Act [PDF]. Also, History and Evolution of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, including its relationship to CITES, and how the Endangered Species Act is administered.
- What's happening in the recovery of endangered and threatened species?
- Feature articles from the Endangered Species Bulletin
- Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Save Our Species" Picture Book
- Wildlife Fact Sheets or "Biologues" of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
- "Plants in Peril" lesson plans and activities from the Center For Plant Conservation.
Endangered Species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- The Endangered Species Act
- Endangered Species Info
- Endangered & Threatened Species List
- Habitat Conservation Plans
- Conservation Agreements
- Species Recovery
Other Organizations
- North American Association for Environmental Education Internet Resources (comprehensive resources and information on endangered species)
- National Wildlife Federation-Keep The Wild Alive (program focus on U.S. endangered species)
- Project Wild-Science and Civics 9-12 curriculum (partial focus on The Endangered Species Act)
- 4-H: National 4-H Council
- Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
- North American Pollinator Protection Campaign-Nature's Partners -- Pollinators, Plants, and You A comprehensive pollinator curriculum for grades 3-6
Biodiversity
- World Wildlife Fund-Windows on the Wild: Biodiversity Basics Curriculum
- The Biodiversity Project
Student Projects
- Partners for Fish and Wildlife Schoolyard Habitats (list of state contacts)
- National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat Program
- Junior Duck Stamp Program
- The Nature of Learning (community-based education program)
- Shorebird Sister Schools Program (through technology links students along shorebird flyways)
Student Information
Curriculum Resources and Activities
Support Our Wildlife on CafePress
Angry Rhino Black T-Shirt
CAUTION: Angry Animals Ahead. We must share the planet with our animal brothers and sisters.
Google News
- What does the wildlife society do for us?
- The answer to the last question is that all were mentioned in recent news updates from the Wildlife Society, whose mission is "to represent and serve the professional community of [those] who work actively to study, manage, and conserve wildlife and ...
Indulge yourself...
Free Publications for Helping Parents and Educators Teach about Animals and the Environment
- Endangered Species Program, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- This site from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Program demonstrates how loss of habitat and ecosystems can lead to a decline in biodiversity, and how the Endangered Species Act helps prevent extinction.
- St Aidens - Free Homeschooling, Teaching & Educational Resources
- Homeschooling in South Africa, phonics, maths, pre-K upwards, thematic & seasonal units, Zulu, Afrikaans, lesson plans, thematic & seasonal units, teacher & parent resources, unit studies, clipart, nursery rhymes, free curriculum, free workbooks & worksheets, language arts
- Endangered Species on EE-Link: Endangered Species - Main Page
- Endangered Species - Getting Started
# Get Started - Popular Starting Points
# Our Most Popular Links - See What Others Find Useful
# Definitions - What is an endangered species after all -- plus much more.
# Causes - Why are species becoming endangered and extinct? Find out why. - NAPPC Pollinator Curriculum
- Nature's Partners is an inquiry learning-based curriculum for young people in the 3rd through the 6th grade.
Free Endangered Animal Related Printables and Ebooks
http://www.slide.com/r/pLg_lUp83D84y8q37LLg4KGRh6tfF_nX?previous_view=lt_embedded_url
For hundreds of free animal-related printables please visit http://www.staidenshomeschool.com/africa/african_animals.html
Alphabetical Listing
Aardvark
African Wild Dog
Bat-eared Fox
Bontebok (Endangered)
Buffalo
Camel
Cheetah
Chimpanzee
Crocodile
Dugong
Eland
Elephant
Gazelle (Thomson's Gazelle) *Eland
Giraffe
Gorilla
Hare (Springhare)*
Hedgehog*
Hippopotamus*
Horseshoe Bat* (Cape Horseshoe Bat & Natal Free-tailed Bat)
Hyena*
Impala *Eland
Jackal*
Leopard*
Lion
Monkey (Vervet Monkey)*
Okapi *Eland
Otter (Spotted-necked Otter)*
Ostrich*
Porcupine*
Rhinoceros (Black Rhinoceros)*
Rhinoceros (White Rhinoceros)*
Shrew (Cape Elephant Shrew)*
Springbok
Squirrel (Red Bush Squirrel*
Warthog*
Wildebeest*
Zebra*
Sperm
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Donnette
Jul 17, 2011 @ 6:52 am | delete
- I have included this lens on http://www.squidoo.com/johannesburg-zoo
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Tipi
Jul 10, 2011 @ 1:23 pm | delete
- Save a caterpillar, save the world! An inspiring lesson on caring for the little ones around us, both children and caterpillars.
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Donnette
Jul 10, 2011 @ 1:34 pm | delete
- thank you again for visiting my page... and for the lovely comment.
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JoyfulPamela
Jun 28, 2011 @ 11:10 am | delete
- I LOVE butterflies and so does my daughter! I'm adding this to a butterfly page I am working on on Wizzley. Thanks! : )
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Donnette
Jun 28, 2011 @ 11:32 am | delete
- Oh what a darling you are, thank you so very much!
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by Donnette
Proud Squidoo Rocketmom and Mammoth Squid :) I am first and foremost mom to 6 blessings, wife to Craig Fry,, mama to 6 dogs and 4 cats, and intermittent... more »
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