I am a future teacher, but I am visually impaired. In the future, my plans are to become a teacher for the blind and visually impaired. What are the best practices to approach a visually impaired student to the study of real live insects that they can touch without being afraid of the science investigation?
Ooo, invest in giant millipedes as a class pet! They're vegetarian so they don't bite. (I handled one after eating baby carrots & got nibbled on - Their jaws aren't very strong. But have your kids wash their hands, just in case.) & they're large & slow-moving. Some possible experiments: Which food do they prefer? Can they learn a maze? Do they really have 1000 legs? (Spoiler: Nope.) Some possible research projects: How can we make the in-class habitat more like their African habitat? Are millipedes insects? Do millipedes have the same growth pattern as butterflies (egg, larva, pupa, adult)? One warning: Scared millipedes exude a brown liquid, which might stain. More importantly, if a kid is allergic to iodine, it might cause a reaction. I haven't seen one in a pet store in years so this recommendation might be useless. Have fun with bugs, whatever you do.
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