Did you know what BBCCFGM refers to?

Yup, you wouldn’t know. But this is something my well-schooled Science students are very familiar with. Butterfly beetle chicken cockroach frog grasshopper mosquito.

Just yesterday, a student asked why we limit our learning to these 7 animals. I confessed to her that I don’t know and went on to say something to the effect of mosquitoes transmitting dengue fever and wild chickens running free in our heartlands. Maybe these animals are selected because they are relatable in our daily lives.

Now that I read this book, I think I just might have a better answer. Singapore aims to produce 30% of its food by the year 2030. To this effect, it boasts frog farms, insect farms (beetles), egg (chicken) farms, among others. That is 3 out of 7 animals.

Anyway, I wouldn’t have picked up this book even though I am a Sci teacher. But my son recently clamoured to visit a dairy farm. Which makes this book a fun read for me.

Also had fun saying aloud the Chinese terms for various words: plants (植物), crops (农作物）and pests (害虫). Doing all I can to avoid having to engage a Chinese tutor for him in the future. 😝