“I didn’t know cockroaches could live without a head for a while,” said Amanda. “I don’t think they’re that gross now since I know all these facts about them and they’re not poisonous.”
Her insect presentation was one of 15 projects exhibited at the third annual Insect Expo that took place at Darlington Lower School on Monday. Students from all grades of the Lower School meandered through the gym where an art show was also featured.
Technology was a major component of the learning process for the expo. Darlington seniors teamed with fourth grade students to create presentations that included dead and live insects, a fictional story of the insect and informational posters.
Utilizing an iPad for all writing and photo finding, the younger students were responsible for the research while the seniors put the information together on the posterboard, according to fourth grade math and science teacher Byron Dacy.
“They’ve had (the iPads) three weeks now and they’ve already put together nice projects,” said Dacy. “They’re using the technology in a great way.”
The students collaborated online using Google Docs to create the informational part of the presentation and then went hunting around the Upper School to find a live specimen of their assigned insect.
Fourth-grader Cooper Cates smiled as he confidently held up a yellow and black colored catalpa sphinx caterpillar that inched across his hands.
“It’s really fun because a lot of people are coming to see us and the caterpillar tickles when it gets on me,” said Cooper.
Dacy said the students were excited to work on their projects and share their findings with the rest of the school. It was both a confidence builder and an encouragement for academic study.
“They’ve actually loved it,” said Dacy. “It’s their first big project in science.”
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