Science Sunday - Insects In Our Area

We've been doing science a la Charlotte Mason nature studies this summer... just exploring and investigating anything and everything we find.   A few weeks ago it was lightning bugs.    This past week we learned about tent caterpillars and cicadas.

When we went to my sister-in-law's house (kind of out in the country) we found these caterpillars building this huge silky nests in the trees... they were all over.   After some investigation we found out they were Eastern Tent Caterpillars.     The interesting thing is that they leave their nests once a week to  get food.   After asking some people about them some folks think they can completely kill a tree, but after reading I found out they can somewhat defoliate a tree, but not kill it.    They are mostly just aggressive feeders and (I think) cool to watch! 

The next insect we discovered was later in the week at the library.   It was lying dead by a hug fountain and my daughter spotted it.  We could tell it was a cicada, but I never had any idea there were so many types of cicadas.   I'm pretty sure that this is a 13 Year Cicada (otherwise known as the Great Southern Brood!)... which means these started out as larvae under the ground when this year's graduating high school class was in kindergarten! 

It is getting to the point where we find something interesting, stop right where we are and pull out the iPhone to Google our discovery.  I'm also carrying the Handbook of Nature Study in my van as a great reference.  Surprisingly, I've tweeted pictures of what we find and can have an answer back in minutes of what it is.  How cool is that?  

So much of our learning is spontaneous, interest-led and, I believe, more meaningful this way.  After all, did the really great inventors and innovators of our time spend their lives tied down to books and assignments?  I think not!


What have you been doing for science this summer?  

Easy Night Science

After a wonderful Father's Day meal with family we were walking our last guests to their car.  Coming back in the house we spotted a ton of lightning bugs, so I decided to catch one.  Once I did this the kids started going crazy trying to catch them, too!  Miss B ran inside to get a little container and we wound up with three lightning bugs.    Our lightning bug keeper was nothing fancy... if you want to prepare ahead of time, here are some cute instructions for making a firefly jar.  

I didn't know much about these fascinating little creatures, so once everyone was ready for bed, we laid down with the iPad and did some research.   I love it when we are learning about something that is RIGHT IN OUR HANDS!!!   

Some very interesting facts about Lightning Bugs:  


1.  Lightning Bugs give off "cool" light - they emit no heat!  An ordinary lightbulb is 10% light and 90% heat.  
2.  Lightning Bugs are CREPUSCULAR (we learned this word earlier in the year and both of my children almost squealed when I read them this fact!).  Don't know what it means?  Guess you'll have to GOOGLE IT!
3.  Lightning Bugs are of the order Coleoptera (winged beetle), the same as Ladybugs.
4.  They are endangered, so every single one counts... if you catch them, please let them go SOON!  
5.  There are 2,000 different types of fireflies!
6.  If you are WEST of Kansas City, your probably won't be able to see them ~ no one really knows why.

Some great sources of information about fireflies are at Firefly.org and National Geographic.

Have you had an impromptu lesson recently?  What was it about?     

Dead Guys and Gals - More Interest Led Science

Not much "formal" science going on here this week, but my little guy has attached himself to a book we recently acquired (What a great thing it is to have a sister-in-law who is a science teacher and gives you great resources!).  It's amazing what will happen when you just leave cool books around the house!

The kids already love Beakman's World (it's on Netflix instant streaming, which is the best thing since sliced bread!), and this book gives a great overview of 14 dead guys and gals of science.  Each famous scientist layout includes a timeline of their life and a very engaging narrative of how each inventor made his or her discovery.   The entire book was devoured by GMan while waiting for his sister at swimming practice this past week!   

*You can watch free episodes of Beakman's World here!   

Both Miss B and GMan are asking to learn more about the scientists in the book, so this coming week they will each choose one and do a little further research.  I remember making cardboard dolls of famous scientists when I was in middle school - perhaps this would be fun for us to do as well.  

Even with all of my planning and lovely science curriculum in this house, it's a free book that will spark my children's imagination and curiosity ~ and that is when the REAL learning will take place!  

*Linking up with Science Sunday and Favorite Resource This Week!