Little Critters

Just a quick update, as I really should get on to end of year reports. I haven't started yet, which is so unlike me it's not funny. But tonight I intend to make a start. So...
After my decision to make the best of things, the class had a meeting, as Room 7. I explained how the original plan was not able to be followed, and suggested that the idea could be adapted. After much discussion, the children decided that they wanted to research little critters like snails, spiders, insects etc. and this would be like "scientific fun." And I thought, super, scientific fun with little critters will meet my authentic task criteria, so that is what we are doing.
I asked them to illustrate what a bug scientist looks like, and then gave them the word entomologist to add to the illustration. (Then I had to discreetly check to make sure that was the right word because it has been a while since I've done minibeasts!)

They are a bit cute! And they all spelled entomologist correctly!

Today we did a quick bus stop activity where they recorded their ideas relating to the questions I wrote, and this created more questions.

Fire? Gas mask? What are they thinking?!!!

 The main things were - where would we work? and what would we wear? because, would we be outdoors collecting specimens, observing and researching critters in their natural habitat, or indoors doing goodness knows what? (No way will I allow any dissecting or evil experimenting to take place)
And if we are outdoors, do we need to wear camouflage gear? (This was one of the ideas recorded on the sheet) I reminded them that we aren't deer hunting, but then came the question about insects seeing colours, and I was acting like ok here we go, I'm going to hide in the bushes and sneak up on this snail... But it is a valid question, and definitely one we can try to find an answer to, because I am pretty sure we can devise a fair test experiment that will tell us the answer without hurting any living creatures. The children can create the test, they just haven't realised that they will need to do this, yet.