Between TV, video games and iPads, more kids are spending less time outdoors and less time
enjoying outdoor creatures.
But as Dan Wardell discovered, Iowa State University's traveling insect zoo brings cockroaches,
spiders and a little bit of everything straight to the classroom.
It's really special that he can, isn't that cool?
Here's his next behavior.
If I try to pick him up by his head, what does he do?
Do you think he's trying to get away from me?
Yes.
And Malachi.
Now, tell me this --
Ginny Morgal is the energetic entomologist who coordinates Iowa State University's traveling
insect zoo.
She carries a collection of critters into classrooms to give kids a hands on lesson
about arthropods and why they play important roles in our environment.
So today you guys are going to get to be an entomologist and you might fall in love with
bugs like I did when I was in second grade.
I love bugs.
They are super awesome.
This is what it looks like.
Morgal: The general thought about bugs is that they're gross, they're creepy, we should
kill them, we should get rid of them and I want them to take a step back and to look
at how cool they are and their importance in the world and that we can't live without
them.
Now your first job when you get the millipedes is to find the head.
And your next job is to count the legs.
Inside those black dots are little tiny holes that it breathes through.
You're obviously a very animated presenter, the kids love you.
But you get a lot back from the kids too.
Morgal: Yeah, I feed off of their energy.
Actually I love it whenever the kids are saying ooh gross, eww, I love that because then it's
like, oh, now I'm challenged so let's see how excited I can get them.
Who wants to hold it?
Not me.
I'll help you.
Do you want to hold it Grace?
Okay.
We'll do this.
Why don't you put your hand right here on mine and we'll do it together.
So tell us how the whole turn the TVs off and go outside and play and explore nature,
how does this all fit in?
Morgal: Well, because I'm bringing the outside in to them and it seems that more and more
kids are not spending a lot of time outside, especially in urban areas.
It gives the kids a chance to see something that they would normally not see and then
become familiar with it and even comfortable with it.
And perhaps that will encourage them to instead of hanging out inside to go outside and to
see what is out there.
Just getting in touch with nature, I think it's very important that we are doing that.
Now, if we first look at the Emperor Scorpion in my right hand you will see it has a very
big tail on the end, doesn't it?
And at the end of that tail is a stinger.
Tell us about Rosie.
Morgal: So, Rosie is a Chilean Rose Hair and she comes from Chile, which is in South America,
and Rosie has been with the zoo for about ten years.
She's about ten years old and she's just very docile.
Now, what is that right there?
Web.
That is her web, that's right.
Madie Fischer: My favorite bug was the tarantula because I never touched a tarantula before.
It was my first time.
And I never, ever saw a tarantula before.
Now, what did you learn about the three parts of an insect.
Do you remember what those were?
David Kaminski: I already know.
-- abdomen.
What are the three parts again?
Kaminski: Head, thorax, abdomen.
How do you know if you've had success in your programs?
Morgal: Well, I gauge that by the reaction of the kids.
When kids are seeing something for real and they're touching it and they have all these
emotions, they have fear, they have excitement, they have whatever else they're feeling, sparks
something else in their brain and they're going to retain that information more, I think.
They're going to hold onto that and it's going to be a memory that they have for the rest
of their life.
I think that will encourage them to learn more about it.
The insect zoo travels all across the state educating thousands of Iowans each year.
Maybe a few of them will want to become entomologists someday.
If you'd like to learn more about the program, go to our website, iptv.org/iowaoutdoors.