We have traveled the world together through virtual events from Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants and other groups like Reach the World, mapping our virtual field trips and meeting people for whom lions, lemurs or polar bears are common acquaintances. We have not traveled to the playground together.
Some students have yards where they sometimes perch with their computers, but many are confined to their homes. We can’t even count on immediate access to a window, since other family members may be using window areas for their work and school Zoom-ing.
Equity demands that I not give assignments if they are not accessible to all of my students, so we have discovered this year that we can see a lot from a distance, learn a lot from the creatures who inhabit our neighborhood, and develop the patience to wait for our “bio” to come to us. What do we see from, in, and around our suburban homes? These images are just some of the many creatures my students have discovered in their own backyards this school year through BackyardBio!
