Being Scientists

''Investigating in science : Extending their experience and personal explanation of the natural world through exploration, play, asking questions, and discussing simple models.''  

The New Zealand Curriculum.

Eddie found a slater/woodlouse in our old terrarium. We decided to look outside in the garden to see if we could find more. We found slaters hiding under things, we even found a slater curled up in a tiny ball that unfurled before our eyes! We had to share this with the class. The next day the whole class went on a bug hunt.

Why do they curl into balls?

"They don't like light" - Thea

"Because they are scared" - Jason, and others agreed

"So they can hide" - Flora

"If they were trapped in a bird cage they could curl up into a ball and the bird couldn't get them"-  Flora

"Could a bird still peck them?" - Eddie

This is Fletcher and Eddie consolidating their days learning by being curled up slaters.  "Look, Emily our bags are our shells" - Fletcher.

Next we looked at some scientific drawings of the slater. We began to understand more about its structure. Some children drew what they saw freehand while others decided to trace the diagrams on the light table.

Thea

Ashton

Jason

Zoe

We made our own armour and talked about other animals and how they protect themselves.

"Ladybugs have armour" -Fletcher   "Turtles have a shell" - Thea "Armadillos" , "Hedgehogs roll into balls" - Zoe

"I know what part of our body has armour" - Flora (she pointed to her toenail).  "You also have armour on your fingers" - Flora 

We compared the slater to a king prawn.

"They can both curl into a ball" - Fletcher

"They both have their skeletons on the outside" -Thea

Next we discovered the giant isopod...