Hello Students and Families! Today we learned all about the physical characteristics of insects by building an insect out of ice cream, snack foods, and Magic Shell topping!

First, we used ice cream to represent the three sections of an insect's body - the head, abdomen and throax! We then used pretzels to represent the six legs of an insect and made sure to attach the legs to the thorax (middle section) of the insect! We also added wings to the thorax because most insects have wings!
Next, we added antennae to our insects...
We finished off our insect by adding two compound eyes, mandibles (or mouth parts) and an exoskeleton made from Magic Shell! Just like an exoskeleton, our Magic Shell topping covered our insects and hardened to protect its delicate insides!
It was a great (and yummy) day and we learned so much! We now know what to look for to determine if a bug is an insect or a different type of arthropod!

Reminder to kids:
Bring any materials you need for your cricket experiment (maze pieces, food, etc.) on THURSDAY. For those of you who need food for the crickets to lure them through your maze, Mr. Sauter's class reported that their crickets LOVE oatmeal!

Update to parents:
Your child might have an Entomology Journal prompt entitled "What Makes an Insect" to complete by tomorrow! Most were able to get it done in class, but some Entomologists needed more time! If your child brought it home, it needs to be completed! Thanks!