Creepy Crawlies

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar.  ~Bradley Millar

Today, as we approached the lesson on bugs, I could not contain my personal bias on the creepy crawlies. I usually cringe from the common feeling of the small critters moving across my legs as we work on the garden, yet today I hunt for them. We spent a while looking for specimens to show the kids.

 

When the class arrived at the garden, and we announced the lesson plan, the kid’s faces lighted up. Their excitement was obvious. We began by teaching them the different parts of the insects. They had a few problems pronouncing some of the words like thorax, and abdomen. After the teaching we showed them the bugs we had collected, even letting them hold some of them. We made sure to tell them to be gentile with them, so we could return them to their home afterward. I found it amazing how eager they were to touch all the bugs. It made me realize how silly my apprehension for the critters were. 

 

Once the excitement from the live creatures died down, the kids were aloud to draw their own versions of the bugs they had seen. Most of the students had no problem creating their bugs with the correct amount of body segments, and other parts. It was very encouraging to see them utilizing the knowledge we had taught them. 

 Untill next time!

~Sam