Nevaeh Michael knew mosquito bites itch. And she knew they can make you sick.
But until recently, she said she wasn’t familiar with specific mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus or dengue fever.
“We didn’t learn about them at my old school,” the 8-year-old explained.
Now, Nevaeh is somewhat of a mosquito expert.
She, along with about 60 fellow Pahoa Elementary School third-graders learned all about the insect Monday, including their structure, elimination methods and which mosquitoes carry what diseases.
The hourlong presentations were given by Van Eden, a retired Pahoa-based scientist who has given lectures around the island about vector control and do-it-yourself mosquito traps.
“I think it’s really interesting,” Nevaeh said afterward. “I’m learning about what mosquitoes do, so I can protect (diseases) from happening to me and my family.”
The students are learning about native and non-native species as part of their regular curriculum, said Nicholas Francisco, a Kamehameha Schools teacher who teaches at Pahoa as part of Kamehameha’s Kealapono program. Their mosquito studies aimed to address science and writing learning standards and also integrate culture — being “place-based and now” — into traditional school subjects.
Last year, students studied albizia trees and their impact on the native ohia forests, Francisco said, and students wrote letters about the topic to lawmakers. This year, students will create brochures about mosquitoes to share with friends and family.
“It has to do with making it relevant for the kids — making it real,” Francisco said. “This is an issue that affects all of us, and we need to change the way we live our life and take care of our community. … And hopefully, (Eden) inspires kids to do great things in life. (It teaches them) in life, we can become scientists, and in the third grade, you can have a dream of becoming a scientist and serving the community.”
Eden told students a single mosquito can bite up to 50 people in its lifetime. He said simple things — such as leaving a bucket of water outside — can create a mosquito breeding site. He said he hopes his visit with the student encourages them to take preventative steps at home and be prepared if another outbreak hits.
“As a culture, we need to modify our behaviors so that it’s not cool to leave a bucket of water in the yard,” he said. “And that cultural shift starts with the kids. Twenty years from now, they will be the culture and hopefully they will have learned.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
