EFJHS takes a walk on the wild side
Bob Tarter with Natural History Educational Company of the Midsouth introduces East Franklin Junior High students to a snake, just one of several exotic critters the company brought to the school for a presentation.
By Nicole Burns
For the FCT
Students and teachers of East Franklin Junior High School recently got chance to walk on the wild side with a visit from some creepy crawly critters. It was part of an educational presentation by the Natural History Educational Company of the Midsouth, which was contracted by the school to provide a unique education experience for students during a school-wide assembly.
Bob Tarter was the NHECM host and brought in different species to show the students. Some slithered like the python Tarter convinced several teachers to “try on,” while others, like the fruit bat, simply hung around like they would have in a cave.
“The animal show was my favorite because I like all of the animals that were in it,” said 5th grader Daniel Mansell. “But my favorite animal was the White-Nosed Coati. I learned that snakes don’t have eyelids and that BBQ potato chips were made with bat poop.”
NHECM uses animals to captivate students’ attention while teaching them important facts about the animal they get to touch and see as well as the environment where they can be found in the wild. “I liked Rainbow the Parrot Bird because it talked during the show,” said 1st grader Kye Baker.
“I liked the Animal Show because he taught us about each of the animal’s unique environments,” said 4th grader Abigail Bell. “I liked seeing the animals in person. The animals also tied into our current reading story, ‘Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander.’ The iguana in the animal show reminded me of the salamander in our story.”
The NHECM offers schools several presentations that feature different species. At East Franklin, the kids learned about “Rainforest Life.” Other animals in the NHECM program include reptiles, a tortoise, a hedgehog, silky chickens and a bobcat.
