I rarely see grasshoppers on my hikes, so I was surprised to find these sitting along a railing at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. After research, I believe these are differential grasshoppers. Read here to learn more.
Joro spiders, an invasive species from Eastern Asia, made their appearance in Georgia in 2014. Adult females lay egg sacs containing hundreds of eggs between September and November and then die with the onset of freezing temperatures. Although the spiderlings hatch in the spring, they reach their mature size (three to four inches) by fall.
Their multi-dimensional webs weave the branches of the woodlands together.
One or more male Joro spiders may join the larger, more colorful female in her web.
Watch this humorous book full screen here. It’s a great mentor text to introduce journal writing.
I made these cards for my K and PreK scientists to sequence the Itsy-Bitsy Spider song. Such a soft introduction to the water cycle.
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
And the the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Happened upon a Southern green stink bug on a hike. Brown marmorated stink bugs are common in Georgia, but I was unfamiliar with this handsome species. Stink bugs are an invasive pest, cause severe damage to food crops, and can invade homes to keep warm during winter months. They were first observed in the United States during the 1990s. Learn more about stink bugs here. Read about the green stink bug here.
Notice how the raindrop magnifies the design on the shield. Go here for a related post.
Animals have defense mechanisms to protect themselves from predators. Go here to view this informative video full screen. What other animals excrete an odor from their bodies for protection?
Let’s explore another phenomenon. Look at the photo below and ask your children to notice and wonder. “The important thing is to never stop questioning.” Einstein
Now examine these photos, do your conclusions change?
The fall webworm, a common caterpillar in Georgia, weaved their webs around these branches. Although they will eat the foliage, the damage to the tree will be minimal because the deciduous trees will shed all their leaves soon.
In parts of the United States, silk tents made by Eastern tent caterpillars blanket the trees each spring. I recently saw them again when I was visiting my daughter in Maryland. To watch full screen, go here.
To find other posts about phenomena, go to the top right corner to search. Phenomena are great to begin a lesson or to meaningfully use extra time throughout your day.
“Vocabulary is not only a tool for communication but also a tool for comprehension and knowledge acquisition.” (Oxford Learning) Considerable research indicates a powerful correlation between the early acquisition of vocabulary and success in school.
I do love picture books, and The Keeper of Wild Words is my new favorite! The author, Brooke Smith, was inspired to write her bock when she discovered that over 100 words from the natural world, such as blackberries, minnows, and acorn, were removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary because the publishers no longer felt the words were relevant for today’s children.
The sweet relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter is celebrated as they search for wild words together.
Let’s help preserve these words! Go for a walk with your family or students and identify the natural things you find or create a scavenger hunt with specific living and nonliving things to identify outdoors. Take photos and assemble a book with labels.
Go here to view this delightful story about the power of words full screen.
Go here to watch a story that addresses the challenges some children encounter with reading.
Reading to your children from a very young age is an important way to introduce new vocabulary. Time for read alouds in classrooms should never be sacrificed for other activities. It is paramount that children hear the rhythm and structure of language.
Cattails bring forth childhood memories from my time in New York. I remember this perennial grass growing around ponds with red winged blackbirds perched upon them. When they went to seed, my friends and I would pull off the tuft and raise our arms in joy as it enveloped us and floated away. Magical.
Cattails grow up to ten feet tall in wetlands and reproduce rapidly. They are used in flower arrangements and the long flat leaves are woven into mats and baskets. Parts of cattails are edible. Watch the video below for more information.
Simple to draw, encourage your young artists, to include cattails in a piece of artwork.
Play the game, I Spy. Read a children’s picture book about pond animals (ducks, turtles, or frogs) and check to see if the illustrator incorporated cattails in the story.
It has been my intention over the last month to capture photos of caterpillars, and August and September are the best months to do just that. I was rewarded with a cornucopia of finds! My daughter thinks I am a caterpillar whisperer.
Be cautious handling any caterpillar! Some can cause serious infections and rashes. Especially warn children not to handle fuzzy caterpillars with bristles. I believe this caterpillar is the venomous American dagger caterpillar. There are five projecting black barbs.
Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies and moths. This stage usually last two weeks to one month.
After spending their days eating and growing, a butterfly caterpillar will form a chrysalis and a moth caterpillar a cocoon. (Yes, they really are very hungry caterpillars!)
Six small eyes arranged in a semicircle are on each side of its head.
Well-developed jaws (mandibles) allow them to easily tear off leaves and chop them into small pieces.
Setae and antennae help the caterpillar sense its surroundings.
A caterpillar has six true legs on its thorax. Prolegs or false legs are on the abdomen and help them grasp objects.
As they grow and exoskeletons become too tight, they will molt.
Spiracles, breathing pores, are on each side of their bodies.
Caterpillars utilize camouflage, mimicry, venomous hairs, or a bright warning color to protect themselves from predators.
Order caterpillars through Insect Lore and watch them move through metamorphosis. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” A great reminder for us all!!
Advanced vocabulary and many examples of alliteration fill the pages. Go to YouTube to listen here.
Use the following picture book to discuss elements that are real and those that are make-believe. Go here to watch full screen.
To watch full screen, go here. A great mentor text to introduce dialogue or identify character traits. Did the caterpillar become a butterfly or a moth? How do you know?
A flaming sunset, a crimson fall tree, or morning mist rising from a pond easily grab our attention, but there are many “tiny, perfect things” around us that aren’t as obvious. With closer inspection, you will be amazing at the patterns and complexity. After watching the video for inspiration, encourage your young scientists to discover the splendor in the small living things around you. Take photos and make your own book or slideshow. What do you notice and wonder?