Students will be introduced to different forms of insect communication. This class alternates between case studies of unique insects and zoom games to help students understand the concepts. In my experience, even young students can learn high level science as long as it is engaging and presented in a fun or game-like context. Your learner can join me and their peers to learn some cool facts and play bug games about verbal and nonverbal communication!

Case Study 1: Honey Bees
We will use honey bees as a case study to understand communication through dance. We will then play an in-class game called "Communication - How easy is it?". This game was designed to help students understand why details are important when we communicate and how difficult it must be to communicate through movement instead of words. 

Case Study 2: Bess Beetles
We will use bess beetles as a case study for communication through sound. Bess beetles are unique in that they live in family groups and the adult beetles regurgitate to feed their grubs. They have the ability to create as many as 13 unique sounds and spend most of their lives in rotting logs or underneath them. How many different sounds can you make without using your voice? 

Case Study 3: Fireflies
We will use fireflies as a case study for communication through light. Male fireflies fly around to look for female fireflies that stay perched. They blink back and forth to find an individual of the same species. Did you know that fireflies are predatory? Yes, most of them eat other insects. After learning all about fireflies, we will play a game where students will attempt to find their match in a sky of blinking lights.

Case Study 4: Pheromones
Finally, we will discuss communication through smell using a variety of insects: moths, wasps, termites, etc. as examples. Insect scents, or pheromones, come in a variety of messages. We will be discussing scents to find eachother, scents to follow for food, and scents that warn of danger! We will learn why you should NEVER eat a banana near a bee hive! We will check out the large feathery antennae of a silk moth under the microscope and we may even trick termites into walking in circles.

This class can easily be modified for older students. If you would like an advanced version of this class, please private message me and we will set it up! 

If the scheduled times do not work for your student, PLEASE request a time that works for you. Auto-scheduling has been set up and will allow you to create any class within my availability.