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Entomology For Kids
© Jennifer James
Sep 25, 2003
On any given day, our kitchen can instantly be transformed into a science lab and my preschooler and toddler love it. They particularly enjoy the days when I conduct our entomology lessons and I have to admit it is one of my favorite lessons to teach as well.
For those of you who are wondering what entomology is, it is the study of insects and what a broad subject it is to teach. Although I am not an avid bug enthusiast or entomologist myself, I do have a genuine appreciation for insects. After all, when they are not buzzing around your ears or trying to land on your food, they are interesting and exciting little creatures. Some are even downright beautiful. Because of this, I have undertaken to teach our daughters about the wonderful world of insects and just judging by our daughters' eyes when I bring out what we affectionately call our "bug box" they are just as thrilled about insects as I am.
Our bug box is a little 6x6 inch homemade science kit that houses all of the insect exoskeletons that we have collected over the past three years. It all started with your run-of-the mill cicada that my husband, oldest daughter and I found lifeless and nestled in freshly mown grass under an oak tree three summers ago. We knew instinctively that we had found a wonderful specimen, but little did we know that every insect that we ran across from that point forward, that had passed on to insect heaven, we'd pick up. Careful not to break any wings, legs or antennae, we would inspect the insect for foraging ant infestation and if the insect passed the test we would take it home. Upon arriving back at home, we'd place it gently into our "bug box" and eagerly anticipate learning more about the little creature. It has since become a ritual every time that we go on our evening walks. We are all always alert and on the lookout for any interesting insect that may be lying in our path. In fact, our "bug box" is now the home of four cicadas, all of varying size, a couple of houseflies, whose coloring is magnificent, a mosquito, beautifully decorated moths and butterflies, various beetles, and a lone prickly caterpillar. When the days finally arrive for our insect lab, usually every three weeks or so, I carefully lift our "bug box" out of its special drawer and scatter insect exoskeletons all over our lab-prepped, tissue-paper laden kitchen table. I call the girls around the table and ask them to describe what they see. The oldest, who is 5, knows the insects by heart now. She blurts out with all the confidence and unapprehensiveness of a preschooler exactly what she sees. Her sister, who is 2 explains in her "toddler-speech" precisely what she sees and is even more excited than her sister.
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Although I am an artist I was quite good at biology and that was because insects and things like that were what I liked to draw.
Drawing makes you remember what it was you saw.
As I read I kept thin ...
-- posted by brisbaneartist
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