With these funds I will...partner with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher and the wetlands area at Halyburton Park to train our students on being citizen science volunteers for the Frog Watch USA program.  The funds will provide bus transportation to the aquarium for the students to be trained as Frog Watch Volunteers.  Money will also be used to purchase guide books and frog call recordings for the classrooms so students can learn all about frog and toad life cycles, the ecosystems of the amphibians and the adaptations these animals have in order to survive in their environments.  Additionally, we will purchase a high quality recorder to record live frog calls in wetland areas to bring back to class for the students who were unable to attend the evening Frog Watch excursions.  

Our students are so excited about learning.  Exposing these students to hands-on, real-life scientific observation, data collection, and data reporting makes learning meaningful.  This project is beyond textbook learning.  The students will be in the "field" learning and researching like professionals.  It will allow these students opportunities that may not be attainable from home.  We have a diverse group of students that come from all races, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds, but we can all learn.  It is important to me, as a teacher, that my students are exposed to multiple possibilities for their futures.  

Costs for this program:

• Bus transportation = $140 (approx.)
• Frog guide books with CD of frog calls = $20 each (approx.) x 3 classrooms = $60
• Digital recorder = $100 (approx.)
• Supplies such as notebooks, snacks for excursions, headlamps for night outings = $200

Back Up Plan