This week we wrapped up our insect study, but one last fun way we looked at insects was by considering the various ways they move and the special adaptations they have for doing so. Grasshoppers have long back legs to propel their high jumps whereas butterflies have large delicate wings to catch the wind. Dragonflies have wings that allow them to hover and can even angle their bodies upwards to move backwards.
The students were challenged to a relay race mimicking some of these insect movements. They lined up by House Tables as a relay team. Each member of the team had to complete one leg of the race moving in the way an insect would - hopping like a grasshopper, flapping like a butterfly, leaping like a cricket, creeping like an ant and flying backwards as dragonflies can do.
After one heat, we had the teams talk about their line-up for the second go around. Who should do which part? Who was their quickest hopper? Their fastest creeper? Some teams even had mini try-outs to try and maximize their team's abilities. We had a total of three races so kids had the opportunity to try out different movement methods. Fun was had by all, though by the end they were all happy to not be creeping, leaping, or moving backwards, preferring instead to run!
Enjoy the pictures below from the races.
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