Insect laboratory study | Educational Farm

Insect laboratory study

Usually, the workshop takes place in the woods where there are logs to be used as benches by the children. Nearby should be an oak tree where a small container of ‘magic powder’ may be hidden among some branches.

You will need nets and jars, cornmeal; to use as magic dust, thread and some bobby pins, various illustrative boards, and entomological boxes with the most common insects... it is better to have a manageable insect alive to show to the children as a friend halfway through the story (last year I had a big longhorn beetle named “Cicci”, but other insects –which present the main characteristics of insects- can also be used. Good options are; stick insect, grasshoppers, or cockroaches.)

Before starting the story we point out that, in the woods, there are so many inhabitants... the children can be asked whether or not they know them... which types of animals there are...Begin with; “Well, now we will tell you a story... do you like fairy tales? Do you know the story of The Oak with the Golden Leaves?” and right then, you begin to tell the story!

“One day, in a wood like this, there was great excitement. There was a rumour that within a few weeks many trees were going to be cut down to make way for a new football field. The children, who often played under the shade of the great oak, spoke with enthusiasm of this project and they already thought of the joyful afternoons that awaited them. (The children can be asked if there are any football fields in their hometowns and whether or not they play there.)

The inhabitants of the wood were, naturally, very worried. The oak, which was the oldest and wisest tree, proposed that all the inhabitants of the wood gathered around him to discuss what to do and try to find a solution altogether, but none of the ideas seem very good. They could only complain: “if they cut all the trees, where will we build our nests?” – said the bird, “without your acorns, what will we eat?” – said the squirrels, and the walnut tree (you can point it out as you mention it) said – “what a pity, without my branches where will the children hide and seek.” “They used to have fun climbing over my branches” he continued. And the big oak, all of a sudden, exclaimed “But, of course, the children, how didn´t we think of it earlier? Maybe they could help us, but I do not know how... we would need some magic!” And suddenly the Nature Fairy appeared, (you can ask them if they know of any fairies and what they are made of and then describe the Nature Fairy in a friendly way) “Dear oak, I think that you are right, and I can make magic... I will leave this magic powder over your leaves and when children pass by you have to move your brunches, the dust will fall over their heads and through the magic they will acquire the gift of knowledge (the children can be asked what the gift of Knowledge is) for one day they will be able to understand all of your words and this way they will become familiar with the life in the forest”.

The following day, a brother and a sister, Anna and Andrea, were playing under the great oak just like any other day after having finished their homework. “Don´t you think that it´s great, in a few months we will have a real football field!” said Andrea. “Yes –Anna replied- but we will not have these beautiful trees to climb and swing anymore”. “So –Andrea said- what could it do with a few trees, they are so many! And the park will also have swings! Anyway, I will finally be able to throw a ball without having it bouncing against a tree!” Anna continued fiddling with a line of ants while Andrea fantasized about future games.

At one point, the two felt a little voice “Go one little ones, we must go make breakfast, and you need to eat to grow ...” “What did you say?” – They said at once. “I said nothing, it was you who has spoken” - they said yet again at the same time. What was happening? If neither of them had spoken who else could have been, (before revealing who had spoken, make the children guess), around them they could only see... ants! Anna and Andrea lay on the ground to observe the ants. (At this point you can start to give some insight into the habits of ants... what they have for breakfast? Is it cappuccino and brioche... no, they drink the Gorgoglione juice, do you know what that is? Haven´t you ever seen it in the supermarket? Would you like to try it? First I will explain what it is... Explain in friendly manner using the illustrative boards and then ask them whether they still want to try it. Then you may tell them about how ants speak to one another using their antennae, make them notice that there is something different about their faces... they do not have a nose, the antennas are used to smell, so when two ants meet they touch and smell one another. Invite the children to do as the ants and greet one another using their fingers over their heads as antennas. Continue to explain that how insects see, they have so many eyes. They even see behind themselves, make the children see how difficult it is to catch a fly with ones hands, it is much easier a paddle all riddled throughout and it becomes tiresome for the fly to see it. At this point, you can show them a live insect... make the children greet him with their antennas, caress it and then continue go on with the story).

A little bit later, Andrea started to look at two ladybugs (show illustrative board) resting on a leaf full of aphids, which represented a delicious morsel. “Move over, I arrived first” said one. “No way. – replied the other one- Let´s do this: the one with the most spots on the back wins. I have got 22 and you? “I only have 7!” – said the other one and went away angry. (Teach the children how to name the ladybugs... because just like us, they also have different names like Julia, James, Anna... make them count the amount of spots and then choose the right name for each of them.)

It was wonderful to be able to understand what the animals were saying to one another, who could have thought that there was such livelihood in the woods? (At your convenience you can find other examples to talk about insects and their characteristics: dragonflies that are super fast and have the ability to go in reverse, butterflies who boast their beautiful wings, earwigs that treat their children with lots of love... and so on and so forth.)

Andrea and Anna looked around: so many times they have been there to play with their friends, but they had never noticed the life of the woods, and now -looking at it with renewed eyes- they saw the butterflies, ants, bees and plants anew... they could not allow this beautiful world to be destroyed for a football field! And their friends would certainly agree... The two children got up and hurried over to their home to tell everyone what they had discovered...

The old oak tree smiled as he watched them go, shaking his golden leaves in a welcoming gesture. Everyone lived happily ever after. The football field was built in another place, where there were no trees to be cut down. The forest is still standing, and the children continue to visit their friends!