Over the years we have cared for a plethora of animals. Some of the animals that have lived at our house included turtles, a variety of frogs, newts, a rabbit, a lizard, toads, hermit crabs, fish, crayfish, and others I can’t recall at the moment. Caring for these pets was a very educational and rewarding experience, but it got to be too much maintenance on my husband’s part.
So, at the moment we are petless, but are willing to once again adopt an animal or two for the enjoyment of the children as well as for a first hand educational experience, insha Allah. As for the type of pet in which we are interested, that is still up for discussion. My two yr. old has been asking for a rat ever since she watched rat basketball at the science museum. This isn’t a realistic pet for our children, but the fact that she has been asking for a rat is kind of cute and comical. The other request was a beta fish from my ten-year old son. He wants one as a personal pet and we are seriously considering this request as these fish are pretty easy to keep and are low maintenance.
After contemplating the beta fish and gauging his true interest in the possible pet, my husband and I decided to create a hands-on homeschooling project based on the beta fish. Previously, I had researched the possibility of using a project-led homeschooling approach with him. After signing up for the newsletter and receiving the Raising Rabbits project for free, I decided to develop a beta fish project like this for my son. This is an all-inclusive project where he will be required to research and record the history, care, cost and anatomy of the beta fish using online as well as book sources. He seems anxious to get started on this, but will have to wait for me to put it together first.
As for the rest of the children, we are still contemplating the best pet option for them. Of course, they want something they can hold and cuddle, so we are leaning towards another mammal.
Filed under: Projects | Tagged: hands-on projects, Homeschoolers, homeschooling, pets, project-led learning | 4 Comments »






























