Tag: wildlife

Bug-tastic Learning

Saklan’s Preschool, Pre-K, and 7th grade students have been diving into the fascinating world of bugs, and recently had a visit from a special guest expert, Los from SaveNature.org, and some of his six-legged (and many-legged!) friends!

Los brought the Insect Discovery Lab to Saklan, where students had the opportunity to meet live invertebrates up close and learn what makes a bug a true bug. It turns out, not all the little creatures we find crawling around are actually bugs! Thanks to Los, our students learned that millipedes, snails, slugs, and spiders are all invertebrates (animals without backbones), just like insects—but they aren’t classified as true bugs. To be a real bug, a creature must have three body parts—a head, thorax, and abdomen—and exactly six legs. That means slugs and snails (with no legs) and millipedes (with way too many legs!) don’t qualify.

Los introduced the students to some truly incredible insects, including:

  • Darkling Beetles – Nocturnal neighbors we might spot nearby!
  • Malaysian Thorny Stick Bugs – Experts at camouflage.
  • Australian Giant Stick Bugs – Mimic scorpions to scare off predators!
  • Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers – So toxic that predators steer clear.
  • Giant African Millipede – The star of the show!

Our youngest learners—the Owlets—showed amazing bravery and curiosity. Every single one held or touched one of Los’s fascinating bugs, and some even did so more confidently than the adults! After the visit, the class voted on their favorite, and the winner was no surprise… the Giant Millipede stole everyone’s hearts.

To reflect on the experience, the Owlets used Model Magic to sculpt their favorite bugs from the visit and then dictated fun facts they had learned. The Hoot Owls also jumped right into hands-on learning, creating models of the bugs and sharing their knowledge. From mimicking scorpions to ward off predators to being brightly colored to warn of toxicity, our students discovered just how smart and strange bug adaptations can be.

#SaklanHandsOn

Amazing Tour Guides

Last week, the preschoolers were very excited to welcome their parents, buddies, and other community members into their classroom for their Nocturnal Animal Project Culmination.

The Owlets spent two months learning about nocturnal animals after a student brought up the concept during circle time at the beginning of the year. The other students had a lot of prior knowledge about animals and were very interested in learning about animals that are more active at night, so the teachers designed a project based on their natural curiosities.

As part of their project, the Owlets took on the role of surveyors, going around the school to ask other classes an important question: Which garbage collector is your favorite—raccoon, opossum, or skunk? After gathering all the votes, they counted them together as a class. It was a close race, but in the end, the preschoolers discovered that Saklan’s favorite animal is… the raccoon!

During the project, the Owlets created an Owlet Wildlife Center, after learning about Lindsay Wildlife’s Rehab Hospital. During their study they learned an important lesson: once an injured animal heals, vets usually release it back into its natural habitat. With this in mind, it was time to return the now-healed animals in their care. Maggie’s hippo and Shay’s hairy cow were delivered with care back to their “homes.” Maggie and Shay were so happy to be reunited with their stuffies, and the Owlets were just as excited to see their hard work pay off!

To get ready for the culmination, the Owlets reviewed all the facts they had learned by creating colorful infographic posters. Their attention to detail was spot on as they helped color the giant animal drawings, carefully choosing the real-life colors of each animal. In addition to coloring the posters, they did some fun math with them, measuring the length and width of the animals using unit cubes.

Finally, all their learning and hard work came together for their Nocturnal Animal Culmination, which was a great success! Teachers, parents, and buddies were all very proud of the Owlets. They were amazing tour guides, confidently sharing everything they’ve learned.

Nocturnal Animals

The Owlets have been studying nocturnal animals, and recently they enjoyed investigating some of the most misunderstood nocturnal animals! At first, many of the Owlets thought skunks and raccoons were “bad guys” of the animal world, but after discussion, they realized they were just trying to live their lives, just like humans. When the preschoolers started learning about skunks, they described them as stinky and mean animals that spray people for no reason. But they soon discovered that skunks only spray when they feel scared or threatened. This led to a conversation about what Owlets feel like when they are scared. The class imagined how a skunk might feel if something got too close to its babies or den. These discussions helped them see skunks in a new, more appreciative light. This also introduced them to the idea of defense mechanisms, which are special adaptations animals use to stay safe.

Next, the class turned their attention to raccoons. The Owlets started off thinking of raccoons as pesky garbage eaters, but soon uncovered the truth: raccoons love the same kinds of food people do, so they’re just after our leftovers! While it might seem like they could make friendly pets, the preschoolers learned it’s never safe to touch a wild animal—or even an animal they don’t know. During circle time, Colby asked, “What would happen if a raccoon came into our house to get our trash?” This sparked an important conversation about wild animal safety. They talked about the importance of finding a grown-up to help and discussed how places like the Lindsay Wildlife Center in Walnut Creek are experts in helping injured or misplaced animals. After learning so much about skunks and raccoons, the Owlets agreed: these animals aren’t bad at all! They’re just a little misunderstood.

The Owlets can’t wait to share what they’ve learned with the rest of the school at their upcoming Nocturnal Animal Project Culmination on Thursday, December 12th at 8:30 a.m.

#SaklanProjectWork