The children have many predictions about our mystery insects. Big changes took place over the weekend - the butterflies are chrysalids, the ladybugs are motionless as they complete another molt and the mosquitos are now more visible as they perform amazing underwater acrobatics. Before the insects emerge as adults, I like the children to become more involved in making predictions. To faciliate this, I give new clues about the identity of each insect. This causes a flurry of activity as the children again reach for the various insect books in the room. As they begin to eliminate the insects that do not fit the clues, their predictions become more precise. We talk a lot about making "smart" guesses based on the information we already know. The clues get more specific each day. Here are a few examples:
Mosquito
They live almost everywhere in the world.
The males eat plant nectar.
The adult has a proboscis.
The larvae hang upside down from the water by tubes called siphons. Siphons allow the larvae to breathe.
The larvae are called wrigglers.
The pupae are called tumblers.
Painted Lady Butterfly
The adult has a proboscis.
The larvae spin webs to help them move around their habitat.
The larvae love to eat thistle.
The adult uses its colorful wings to attact a mate.
The adult tastes with its feet and breathes through its abdomen.
The adult prefers flying in the daytime.
The female can lay up to 500 eggs.
They can be found on all continents, except Australia and Antarctica.
The adult is known as the "cosmopolitan" butterfly.
