When you walk in the woodlands, you are apt to encounter signs of wildlife. What an opportunity to discuss the evidence you’ve discovered with your family. Then research for additional information or use an app, such as Seek by I Naturalist, to identify what you’ve discovered. Make a book with the mystery photo on one side and your conclusions on the other.

Go here to see Part One. (Includes a book connection.)

Perhaps you’ve observed an ant carrying a load larger than itself? (Scientists estimate 10 to 50 times their body weight.) How is that possible? This phenomenon is being studied in biomimicry labs in regard to robotics and material sciences. Read here to discover why.

The explanation to their amazing strength is a partnership of physics and body structure. Watch here to learn more.

The ant below is easily moving a fallen comrade.

Place some large crumbs on a sidewalk and then revisit the spot to observe the ants. How long will it take for the ants to discover and move the food? Try several different types of food. Do they prefer one over another?

A fun fiction book to complement your discussion, and an engaging way to introduce division! (Use Base Ten Blocks) Go here to view full screen.

One more humorous story that teaches empathy. Go here for full screen viewing.

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Fire Ants

Ant Mounds

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Symbiosis

OK, flies are not my favorite insect, and they probably aren’t yours either. In fact, flies can transmit diseases and spoil an outdoor gathering. It would normally be challenging to capture a photo of a fly, but this one was busy eating something dead with his roach companion. What else would you expect from a fly?

Some facts about flies:

• Like other insects, flies have three body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), antennae, and six jointed legs.
• Houseflies have only one set of wings, unlike many other insects that have two.
• Flies have compound eyes which gives them the ability to see all around at once.
• Flies move through metamorphosis during their life cycle. Eggs are often laid on food, garbage, and dead creatures.
• The larvae of flies are maggots.
• Flies have a proboscis, a long straw-like tongue, which they use to suck up food. Do you see it in the photo above?
• Yes, they do have a purpose. Flies are a food source for other animals and help keep our environment clean.

Perhaps a bit surprisingly, there are a number of children’s books with a fly as the main character. Use this popular tale as a model for journal writing.

Such an informative and humorous story:

Use this classic book to teach sequencing.

From the Revolting Critters series:

Rhyming text follow a mischievous old black fly through the alphabet. List character traits of the fly.

What’s it like to be a fly? This humorous story is told from the fly’s perspective.

Don’t forget the popular series about Fly Guy!

There are annual cicadas that are part of the summer symphony, but by now, you’ve probably heard about the convergence of two broods of periodical cicadas that will appear out of undisturbed ground simultaneously. This hasn’t happened since 1803 and we are talking about biblical swarms of these insects! Entomologists still don’t know how they accomplish this feat in sync every 13 or 17 years. How do they keep track of time?

The largest concentrations will be in the Midwest and Southeast. We haven’t seen them in Atlanta, so my sister sent me photos from St. Louis. Go here for resources about cicadas from the Smithsonian.

Cicada adults only live for a few weeks, but in that precious time, eggs are laid in slits of trees that are made with the female’s ovipositor. The nymphs will hatch within ten weeks, drop to the ground, tunnel into the soil, and the cycle will continue. Have you ever noticed how many cycles there are in nature?

Check out this new book about cicadas. Go to the author’s site (which includes a book trailer) here.

Other Cicada Books:

Cicadas aren’t harmful; in fact, they are beneficial to ecosystems. They are an excellent food source for wildlife, their tunneling aerates the soil, and the decomposing bodies are a natural fertilizer. Cicadas don’t sting, transmit disease, and cause minor (if any) damage to plants.

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Are Bugs Insects?  (Includes more book links and an informative video about cicadas.)

Exoskeletons

Cicada Killing Wasp