As part of their project learning about bugs, the Hoot Owls recently dove into the fascinating world of termites! The spark for this part of their investigation came from Gabriel, who asked a great question: “Why do termites like eating wood?” To help them find out, the class invited a special guest—Joe, a termite expert and proud Hoot Owl parent!
Joe captivated the class with fascinating facts about termites. While termites can be pests in homes, Joe explained that in nature, they’re incredibly important decomposers, helping to break down fallen logs and branches and turn them into rich, fertile soil. The class learned about the different types of termites in a colony: the queen, king, soldiers, workers, flyers, and, the student favorites—baby termites!
Joe also shared pictures of termite mounds with the class, which the Hoot Owls were very intrigued by! He explained how these intricate structures are built and why it’s important, when building houses, to leave at least a foot of space between the building and the dirt, to help keep termites from sneaking in.
The Hoot Owls all agree – termites are very interesting! Thank you, Joe, for sharing your expertise with the Hoot Owls.
After learning so many fascinating things from Joe about termites, the students decided to make their favorite type of termite and also a termite mound. These items and many others will be on display during their unit culmination event on May 20th at 9:00 a.m. We hope you can join us to celebrate their learning!
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