We Have Ants!

Remember our bug trap?

What looks to be a small scouting party of ants wandered into the bug trap!  Unfortunately, I think the night was too cold for them, and when we found them they were deceased.  Syd still learned a lot from studying them, though.

First, she drew pictures of the ants on her worksheet.  Then, she counted the body parts and I wrote down her findings.

The ants were very tiny, so we had to pull out the magnifying glass to get a really good look.  Sydney was fascinated by their mandibles.

Once the weather warms up a bit more and this monsoon season we've been having is over, we'll put the bug trap back outside and see what else we can catch.

Exploring Science: Week Three

This week in our Exploring Science unit, we're learning about insects!

Step one was to make an insect trap.  First, we found a jar that would work:

The jar needs to be big enough so that insects can fall in after your bait (cheese or apple) and not be able to get back out again.  I left the open lid on the jar, figuring the rim around the top would provide an extra layer of bug-catchiness.

Next, bury the jar in the ground so that the top of the jar is level with the earth:

We had to use a large spoon because I couldn't find a trowel.  Luckily, the hole didn't have to be too deep.

Voila!  We used shredded cheese for our bait, but really, you can sprinkle in a bit of any kind of food that you think insects might be attracted to, along with a leaf or two.

Finally, create some kind of low-lying makeshift roof to go over your trap so that rain and small rodents don't plunder your catch.  As you can see in the back of this picture, we propped up a few flat rocks over our trap.

Then the waiting begins!  Check your insect trap every morning, and be sure to let your tiny critters back outside again after you're done examining them.  We haven't caught anything yet- the nights have been getting pretty cold again, so I think the insects are all hiding- but as soon as our trap works, I'll blog all about it.

Exploring Science: Week Two

Now that the sun has returned and the snow has finally melted, we can resume using Elemental Science's Exploring Science program.  The first week- which we did over a month ago- was about observation.  This week, we're studying natural communities.

First, I introduced the topic and Sydney colored the included picture of a natural community:

Luckily, Sydney remembered everything from week one and was able to explain that observation is, in her words, "looking at everything around you," so I didn't have to re-explain all of that material.

Then it was time for the fun part!  The Science Play book that goes along with the program describes roping off a small circle in your yard to look at, but since insects living in the dirt are somewhat few and far between this time of year, we just went on a nature walk and observed the living things that are a part of the natural community of the area.

We saw a woodpecker.

And Sydney found about a hundred things to carry home.

Even in early spring, Minnesota is beautiful.

We had a great time, and with the temperature hovering around sixty today, we didn't require restorative warm drinks when we got home.  Next week is supposed to be insects, I think, so unless I dig the dead hornets out of the window sill in the kitchen, we may have to put that off for another month or so and just move on to whatever comes after next week.