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| Engaged in puppet show! |
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| Puppet Show with Benji Bear |
Each month, parent volunteers - Melanie and Royce Meyer come to teach us through a program called 4 Winds. This science focused program is developed through the Four Winds Nature Institute. The year long theme for the year is focused on Ecosystems and we'll look closely at how living and nonliving things contribute to the earth's environments.
This month, we focused on signs of leaf eaters. Students listened to a puppet show to learn about the different types of leaf-eaters, completed a scavenger hunt outside to find evidence of various leaf-eating or shelter-building insects or spiders, and finally used magnifying glasses to look closely at examples of leaf cutters, leaf miners, leaf skeletonizing, etc.
News from the Nature Institute...
On a September day, schoolyards are busy places, filled with
the buzzing and stirring of not just children, but thousands of insects and
other small creatures. A closer look reveals an ecosystem in action, with a
whole host of hungry leaf-eaters busily feeding and hiding in the schoolyard
plantings. In fact, by early fall, it’s hard to find a leaf that’s still
completely intact.
There are two main ways these hungry leaf-eaters feed on
leaves. Insect with sucking mouthparts, pierce the leaf and simply sip out the
plant juices, leaving behind discolored patches where they fed. Critters with
chewing mouthparts feed on leaf tissue in a variety of ways. They can leave
scattered holes, feed along the leaf edges, or just eat the soft tissue between
the veins, revealing a leaf skeleton. Some are even called leaf miners for they
only eat the tissue between the top and bottom surface of the leaf. Their
feeding can look like pale windows or tunnels that snake across the leaf like
roads on a map. Leaves can also be rolled, folded or covered in silk to create
a shelter or safe dining spot.
So get out your magnifying glasses, it’s time to take a closer
look and try to read the stories written/eaten in the leaves.
Right in your own backyard, thousands
of small creatures are dining out. Small shrubs are great
places to look for these hungry leaf-eaters and their
predators. Spread an old white or light colored
cloth on the ground underneath a shrub and give it a good shake. Several different kinds of critters will fall to the ground and be visible on the sheet. See how many different kinds of critters you can find. Gently return the critters to their home. Then check the
leaves for signs of feeding. How many different eating patterns can you find?
Can you find a perfect leaf?