Materials
Old aquarium, 1/4 full of bedding and cedar chips(clean every four weeks)Some type of wire mesh lid
Water bottle
Mouse food purchased at pet store
Cardboard tubes (toilet paper, paper towel)Male and female mouse, pet store purchased
Instructions
What to do1. Prepare cage and add mice. Remember, tolerance is the name of the game for adults when mice are in the classroom because, with patience, a wonderful experience takes place.2. This project is perfect for the winter season! Children often question what happens to animals in the cold and snow. These mice will provide your classroom with a first-hand visual experience of the answer. The more tubes you put in the cage, the more tunnels the mice create and the more tearing they do. Their homes become very elaborate.3. You seldom see them work, just like the burrowing animals outside in the winter. But the children witness the creative structures that are built and how animals outside protect themselves from the elements.More to doMore science: If you are lucky enough for Mr. and Mrs. Mouse to become parents, your children will witness a very supportive, caring and loving animal mother. Mr. Mouse should be removed from the cage at this time. Mrs. Mouse needs a clean cage and lots of cardboard to keep her babies hidden and secluded in the tunnels and bedding. She cares for them constantly. As the babies get older the mother starts revealing them slowly to the outside world. What an exciting learning time for the children! Consult your pet store about taking the mice and babies back. It is a completion to your unit that the children will accept.
