Publisher's Synopsis
The Buggy Science: Collecting and Studying Grasshoppers workbook has over 31 research and record grasshopper observation questions for students; a teacher's guide to grasshopper collection and study; illustrations on insect anatomy and collection; and a final report for students to record what they've learned about grasshoppers. In the search for an outdoor science activity and study which will give unlimited scope for independent thought and observation, which will lead elementary and middle school students to better understand the forces of nature that affect agriculture, nothing is so readily available and attractive to the child as nature study, an elementary study of the natural sciences. High school and college courses in agriculture are primarily a course in nature study where we study how plants and animals struggle for existence. When reading this outdoor science and inquiry book on grasshopper collection and study, the fundamental thing to keep in mind is the economic importance of insects, good or bad. There is something more associated with the life, work and development of each tiny insect. There is a period in the life of every child when they are especially susceptible to outdoor science activities and the "call of nature;" when they roam through woods or by streams gathering flowers, fishing and cleaning out bumblebees' nests. It expresses an inward craving for a closer relation with nature and her creatures. If teachers and parents can reach a child while at a young age they'll have a ready and attentive listener. That is the time to guide and instruct students in outdoor science and nature studies. The most important questions confronting teachers in elementary and middle schools are: "What material should I use and how should I proceed to keep students excited and interested in the study of outdoor, hands-on science?" First of all use scientific material which is most readily available, which is most familiar to students and which will attract and hold their attention. There is nothing so readily available and more interesting to both boys and girls as are the thousands of fluttering, buzzing, hopping and creeping forms of insects. In pursuing a study of nature and insects students should go into the woods and fields as much as possible and study them where they are found. This allows students to determine how insects live together, what they feed on and the various other questions which the inquisitive mind of a healthy child will ask. When outdoor science time is not possible, gather the grasshoppers and keep them alive in jars where they can be fed and observed. Grasshoppers and other insects can also be pinned to form a collection for study. This elementary study of Entomological Science (Insect Science) is perfect for students in 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade. It's also a great outdoor inquiry science lesson add-on for summer camps, science camps, and homeschool classrooms. Outdoor science inquiry activities for elementary school and middle school students are exciting and educational. Differentiated Instruction: The outdoor inquiry science lessons in this book can be used to reach students with different learning styles. Higher-Order Thinking Skills: The outdoor inquiry science lessons in this book have more than one answer--they'll test student's comprehension, ability to apply what they know, and analyze and evaluate problems before them. Cooperative Learning: The outdoor inquiry science lessons in this book allow students to work individually or as a team to complete each observation question--giving them the opportunity to achieve a common goal. Peer Assessment: Student's can use these outdoor science inquiry lessons to assess the work of their peers--improving metacognitive skills, while at the same time providing insight on how their peers viewed the same set of problems and research opportunities.
