Yesterday we were sprucing up our science center (since our newest FOSS kit arrived) and we were discussing the Nature Box. (This holds any treasures the children haul in from recess/home that would be categorized as ‘nature’.) All the kids said we should keep the box in the center, but one child piped up with, "Actually, there is a ROACH in the nature box!" I was a little bewildered by this comment. Typically when a little living creature makes its way into K4, I hear about it immediately, from each child, at least three times.
Soon a few other children agreed with the original roach-sighter and we were thrown into a full-on investigation. I began pulling pine cones and leaves out of the box and someone yelled, "Be careful! It will jump out and bite you!" This comment yielded a deep conversation (read as: yes they can/no they can't argument) about the probability of being bit by a cockroach (especially for children lurking around the science center). So then I had to slowly pull one thing out at a time, allowing the feared viewers to visually search each tidbit. I picked up a bur oak acorn and half the group screamed. (The acorn was cracked at the bottom and a portion of the meat inside was visible - which apparently can be interpreted as being a cockroach.)
Half the group was stunned I was actually touching it, the others looked at me with disgust. I tried to explain what was inside, how it was perfectly normal, and definitely not living! I tried to bust it open, but my non-squirrel-like hands failed me. So, I pulled out my hammer. (This earned me immediate accolades from the boys and three requests to personally swing it around like a sword or bang on the tables.) Once we got the acorn cracked, the children could see how it was actually very un-cockroach-like and agreed to keep the nature basket on the science table.
The conversations trailed on...how to kill a cockroach...what if you just cut off their legs...sometimes they keep running even if your dad steps on them...you know, your typical super scientific stuff.
Also, they still have not decided if I am correct in my statement that a roach is the same thing as a cockroach. Not sure when that will get cleared up.
