These Middle-Schoolers Have A Strange Way Of Raising Mosquito-Borne Disease Awareness

It is probable that very few adults actually remember their middle school days with clarity, but any adult can tell you that learning about mosquito-borne diseases did not involve the construction of an enormous mosquito statue. Anything that an average adult learned about insects in middle school biology is likely long forgotten. However, students at Bates Middle School in Annapolis, Maryland will never forget about the dangers posed by mosquitoes. At the moment, an unfinished eight foot mosquito statue is on display in the school’s cafeteria. For anybody that is not a student or staff member at Bates, this may seem like an odd sight, but students see the statue as an academic challenge. In an effort to raise awareness concerning mosquito-borne diseases, the students at Bates Middle School must contribute to the construction of the mosquito statue. This is not merely an artistic challenge, but a scientific one as well, as the students must finish building the mosquito’s body in a way that makes it a perfect replica of a real mosquito. This means that students will have to familiarize themselves with a mosquito’s anatomy and bodily features. For now, the statue is missing eyes, an exoskeleton, and wings. The students will never forget this bizarre project, and that is the idea.

In order to finish the statue, students will create a mosquito’s body parts using recycled materials. The rebar that was used to prop-up the statue was provided by the Entomological Society of America. The society’s vice president, Bob Peterson, believes that educating children about mosquito-borne diseases is more important now than it ever has been before. Obviously, mosquito-borne disease outbreaks have been increasing in recent years, and this trend will only continue as the climate goes on changing as dramatically as it is today. The statue is scheduled to be completed on March 19th when it will be displayed in front of the school.

Do you think that children should be aware of tick-borne diseases as well? Or are ticks more of a regional issue?