The George Holmes Bixby  Memorial Library hosted a celebration of Francestown Elementary School’s third- and fourth-grade animal defense research projects on Thursday evening.  

“We’re very grateful to the library for hosting us. We always want to get the word out to the community about the great things happening in the classrooms,” said teacher Madeline Parisi, who teaches the combined third- and fourth-grade class of seven students at Francestown Elementary School. 

The students studied a range of animals with different defense characteristics. 

“We looked at the different mechanisms that help them survive. They took it very seriously, and they had a lot of fun with it,” Parisi said. “They learned that the monarchs evolved with bright colors, to warn animals not to eat them. The springboks rely on speed; the armadillos have their armor. They’re all very different.” 

The students had the choice of armadillos, monarch butterflies, springbok antelope or armadillos, and one student studied pufferfish.

“Each student wrote an essay about their animal, and each paragraph became a page in the book,” Parisi said. “They also researched fun facts about their animals and their predators.” 

Third-grader Alicia Austin said she learned that armadillos have a very hard shell, almost like wood.

“I learned that three banded armadillos can curl up in balls, but four banded armadillos can’t,” she said. “When the three banded ones curl up in a ball, nothing can hurt them.” 

Nate Monty, founder of  Francestown’s Morphs & Milestones, said he had come to see work by one of his student volunteers, May Arnold.

“May is absolutely amazing, and I came to see her work. She studies monarch butterflies. She is just a natural with animals, ” Monty said. 

Library Director Beth Crooker said the Bixby Library is always happy to help. 

“It’s been a great event and it’s really nice for people to see the students’ work. They worked hard on the projects, and they learned a lot,”  she said.