How Did I Get Here?!

Sitting in the Entomology class today, I could not help but ask myself this question.  Ten years ago, I never would have imagined sitting in a classroom learning about insects!  That is what 4H has done to me...taken me in places I never dreamed of going...LOL!  However, I am happy with turn of events...my boys are learning about something they love.  They will appreciate these little creatures more now that they know what they are looking at when they go out in to the woods or in our yard.

Today, the boys learned about the different types of metamorphosis.  Did you know that all bugs do not mature in the same way?  There are three types of metamorphosis:

No metamorphoshis (egg, immature, mature):


Incomplete (egg, nymph, adult):



Complete (egg, larvae, pupa, adult):


They also learned more about the structure of insects and arachnids.  I was lucky to remember that insects were divided up into three parts, but the boys need to know a lot more.




And then they began their adventure into the different orders of insects.   This week they learned about the following orders:

Thysanura (silverfish)
Ephemeroptera (mayflies)
Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
Plecoptera (stoneflies)
Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets)
Blattodea (roaches)
Mantodea (mantids)
Phasmatodea (walkingsticks)

It is amazing to me that the boys can learn all these orders.  However, it is even more amazing that they can spell the orders!  They have to spell correctly for the answer to count.  They also have to know the kind of mouth parts and if the insect is beneficial.  Pretty amazing!

And to think we would never have had this adventure if it were not for 4H.  So glad we are able to give the boys these opportunities.  An added bonus today was being able to see praying mantis egg sac.  It was really cool!  Thanks again to our leaders!

Also, Sean did a great job of reviewing our last class.  He and I put together a crossword puzzle with clues from last weeks class.  He gave out the worksheets at the beginning of class and then he gave out the correct answers at the end of class.