The Figeater Beetle and Science for My Boys

Have you ever felt like your kids don't think your interesting?  I sometimes do!  There are plenty of times while I'm outside watering or doing yard work that I'll call my boys to see something and there response is "oh, that, we've seen it...it's a ___" and walk away.  But last Friday I had a break through.  Sitting on our window screen was this huge colorful bug:

Figeater Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis)

 I called the boys to see it and this time..."Wow, what is it?!"  Mad rush to get our tweezers and a plastic container for further observation of course ; )  They looked at it, turned it around, used our scopes, took pictures and on and on.

My second grader decided to take out the watercolors and add an entry into his nature journal while my first grader and I did some research on the computer.  We discovered that the Figeater Beetle can be found in California and other humid monsoon areas like Texas.  We have no figs in our backyard so can only guess that our awful humid hot weather brought this huge beetle to our area.  This was interesting!

This is a post that really I'm laughing at myself while I write.  I have four boys and all would rather be outside all day; typical active, energetic little guys looking at things.  But, alas, I'm still a teacher! A planner!  What could my second grader (and brothers) actually enjoy reading for science this year?  I looked through the books I've been slowly collecting and I picked three that I thought would interest him.   Interest being the key word here.  Hmm ... bugs, plants, and animal hiding places!  So good old Mr. Glenn Blough seemed to have everything I needed.  For his first term I chose Discovering Insects by Glenn Blough along with our First Field Guide Insects and to just let him do what he does best: explore outside.  After all, I shouldn't worry to much past this ; )

We had just read the first few pages a couple of days prior to our discovery.  Needless to say my sons were thrilled to spend the afternoon with the Figeater Beetle or Junebug (as it is also called). My boys like figeater much better!  Especially after they saw this short you tube video titled "The Attack of the FigEater Beetles". After we were satisfied with our findings the boys went up our little hill and let him go : D

Boys Science & Nature Study Check!