E13 Teaches About Dragonflies

Yesterday was our science club meeting.  E13 and her friend B14 are aging out of this particular club.  This is their last year, and they get the chance to earn a special leadership patch.  Together they have to research and teach the group about two subjects of their own choice.  They chose Hine's Emerald Dragonfly--an endangered insect in our neck of the woods.



They divvied up responsibilities--B14 was in charge of a science experiment about the water pollution that has led to the dragonflies' endangered status and a game illustrating how dragonflies feed; E13 was in charge of a craft, a puzzle teaching dragonfly morphology, and a coloring page about the dragonfly lifecycle.  They were each to prepare their own lecture to go along with their activities.

They did great!!  The kids loved, loved, loved the dragonfly feeding game.  One set of kids were given plastic grocery sacks to open and run around with (this represented the dragonflies' legs that are folded together to create a sort of basket), and the other set of kids were given paper balls (representing mosquitoes).  The kids with bags ran around, and the kids with balls threw them.  It was hilarious to watch the "mosquitoes" get "caught."

E13's craft was a big hit. 

(We got this picture and the idea here.)

 We used larger googly eyes to show how large dragonfly eyes really are and provided glitter glue tubes so the kids could really decorate.  Some of the finished dragonflies were gorgeous!!

E13 enlarged a simple black and white dragonfly drawing to poster size, mounted it on cardstock, and cut it into pieces.  She had a volunteer come forward to read a description of dragonfly morphology and had the kids take turns putting the pieces of the dragonfly together according to the description.  

I think she did a great job!

And the kids learned how to tell girl dragonflies from boy dragonflies. :)

I'm proud of my girl.

She's filled with self-recrimination for not being good enough--for not living up to the ideal in her head.  We've had more than one conversation since then to help her see her way through that trouble.  I taught her the principle that helps me through my own self-doubts; you always have 3 lessons--the one you plan, the one you give, and the one you wish you'd given.  She smiled at least at that one.  I hope she feels as good about herself as I do about her.

It was a great lesson!


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