Insect Presentation and Notes for 2nd grade show and tell on our real insect collection

In the last post we added the VIDEO of Mommy presenting Insect All Around 2nd Grade Presentation Chicago Public Schools Spring 2015 YouTube Video.

If you want to know more about what kind of insects we talked about - mommy's notes are here:

It's fun being an amateur entomologist. 

Insect Presentation and Notes for 2nd grade show and tell on our real insect collection

2nd grade insect presentation, here are the notes:

• Lady bugs.
• A clear cup w one inch of soil - beach box bugs.
• Rattle - Cicada sound
• Nets
• Jars
• Piece of styrofoam
• Bark
• Wasp nest
• Bug tool box
• Insects collection

We are here to talk about insects.

Insect All Around 2nd Grade Presentation Chicago Public Schools Spring 2015 YouTube Video

That one time mom volunteered in a classroom to present the 5 year old insect collection. I love sharing kids passions, and little kids love to explore the tiny world all around them.

So when I had the chance to go into the classroom and bring our insects into a classroom at Chicago Public Schools - I said OH YEAH

I LOVE BUGS! I talked about this so much that family members promoted my passion and I got to go into classrooms to share my passion.

Since this presentation I have much improved the experience, passing around the boxes FIRST and then answering questions. But I think the kids loved it either way.

Insect All Around 2nd Grade Presentation Chicago Public Schools Spring 2015 YouTube Video

2nd Grade Presentation at CPS school on The Wonder of the Insect World. "Insects are All Around" was created & based on our family hobby: Insect Collecting. We have over 1,000 insects collected over a 4-year period (at the time this video was shot) in Spring 2015. We are amateur entomologists, self taught through research on proper insect pinning, preservation, labeling, insect mounting, etc. We are still collecting, learning and exploring our Insect World. See more in the video "Insect All Around, 2nd Grade Presentation, Chicago Public Schools, Spring 2015"

Insect All Around 2nd Grade Presentation

Chicago Public Schools

Spring 2015

Are You Sure About That Blog Youtube Videos

See the video here > > > 
Insect All Around, 2nd Grade Presentation, Chicago Public Schools, Spring 2015

If you want the "notes" of what we talked about in the video - those are here Insect Presentation and Notes for 2nd grade show and tell on our real insect collection
.

Thank you Fans - Our Most Popular Posts

We love tracking our adventures. And thru nearly a decade of blogging about the fun we have had, we are sharing our most popular blog posts here. A top ten list to start the New Year! 

Along the path we have been on, we are now including our Video Channel, where you can see some of the sillyness live! 

While the banner is brand new, and we have lots of fun videos for you to enjoy - especially about insects, life with kids, and traveling.

Thank you Fans: Our Most Popular Posts

YOUTUBE CHANNEL AMI STUDIOS CHICAGO

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Thank you Fans: Our Most Popular Posts

Summer Bucket List - Second week of Summer

Second week of Summer 2015

We have had a wonderful start to the summer. Logging long days, early mornings, and we are only in our first week with all 3 kids. My younger sons school dismissal was a week earlier then older sons.

The Summer Routine

Being a mom, staying at home, can feel mundane. You are a slave to the stove, snack queen, mediator of the sibling rivalry, etc. Etc. 

While I am making pancakes this morning, a moment of I can't believe I'm cooking again overtook me. However we aren't rushing. Eventho i sort of put this burden on myself since we dont eat cereal every morning, the kids eat something fresh everyday! Toast and fruit, leftovers, potatoe pancakes, etc. Today I am making pancakes from scratch, but we are not rushed, so I can use a skillet, and put a pat of butter before I lattle each batch. If course its more time consuming, but ridiculously yummy too!! We are on summer break, why rush? The schedule today calls for some vintage shopping and the beach.

The kids get plates and forks for breakfast, my older son came in the kitchen mid pancake making and started playing the iPad songs. As I finish they are discussing their dreams, Men in Black and Donna Summers "I survive" which is playing, and baby girl was practicing her ballet spins. 

As we eat We will talk about the plan for the day and "make a plan." 

Baby Girl Pinned Dragonflies Stink Bugs and other Insects at 3 years old

We spent the weekend in Indiana and of course enjoyed some bug collecting! I walked my moms entire garden, and after some very wet weather (early May) we had a limited amount of bugs.

However, dragonflies were about!! She lives near the dunes, with lots of wet and marsh areas. Heaven for some dragon and damselfly species.

Baby Girl Pinned Dragonflies Stink Bugs and other Insects at 3 years old

Baby girl pinned 3 0f our 9 Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs collected Indoors. They are invading our room and walking along the ceiling - ewe!Also a yet to identify Spider, stinging fly and a golden abdomen weevil found on the UNDER side of a plants leaf.

Learn more at our blog Areyousureaboutthatblog dot blogspot dot comPictured here is a Jewelwing Damselfly. I don't use a regular spreading board - altho I will soon enuf. I make some indentations in styrofoam to fit the body and allow the wings to lay flat.

Once Upon a Time a Butterfly came to visit... landed on my purse

My grandmother lives just a hop away from my place. And in the summer when we have lotsa time, we walk over and see her pretty regularly. En route to the park, back form the park, or just to go by her place. The new spring like weather has inspired this post. I was reviewing my flickr photo hosting page, for this blog, and realized I hadn't included these photos from a few years back.

Now we all love grandma, but she can be a bit overwhelming. You think I talk a lot? HA! And we have these great little moments, when I want quiet, to observe the kids, or answer their questions - and here comes Babcia yelling from the other room the start of her story and she will continue and finish as she approaches wherever you are. 

One afternoon in late summer - baby girl was about one years old, younger son was four - we returned from the park and visited Babcia. And as we walked up the back stairs a Butterfly landed on my purse. Baby girl noticed first. We were in awe. 

We stood there observing the little creature, catching some sun, and not afraid at all. So we sat on the deck, quietly, and we didn't tell grandma we were there yet. I love grandma but she would come out all full of life and commotion and our new found friend would fly away. 

Baby girl first noticed this swallowtail butterfly that landed on my purse.

So we sat, and observed him. He opened and closed his wings just a few times, and then kept them open. Catching the warm sun rays. This was really an amazing moment. We were outside for about 10 mintutes - which when watching a butterfly are L-O-N-G minutes....but everyone was enjoying this. 

He sat thru many photos. 

And then it happened. Babcia came out on the desk. What are you doing here? Why didn't you come in? (Iam meanwhile putting my finger to my lips, ssshhhhhhhhhhh... yeah - right - liek that will work!) "Babcia Sshhhh" the kids say.  Finally she quiets down. and we point to the butterfly. She just can't understand why we are sitting and watching it. I love her but this was a quiet time.

Observing Insects before it was cool in Kids play microscope

One of the few things we keep year to year as the kids age is this microscope. Even now as we have gotten into bug collecting, the kids will take out the insect slides and learn facts and bits and pieces about the critters. here my now Older son was exploring.

Observing Insects before it was cool in Kids play microscope

Observing in my play microscope

Just to think it all started around this time - our blog has grown into a bug collecting guide. And so has our YOUTUBE CHANNEL! Please visit and subscribe.

Want more of this type of post? 

Observing Insects before it was cool in Kids play microscope

How about in video versions. . . 

Our Summer Bucket List - Northpark Nature Center and Learning about Spittlebugs - End of Summer

Last week we went on a walk at our local Nature Center, and I found these bunches of bubbles on plants. I assumed it was some sort of insect but I didn't know what it was. My daughter shouts enthusiastically now, it was a Spittlebug!! 

Our Summer Bucket List - Northpark Nature Center and Learning about Spittlebugs - End of Summer

I remember being on a trip to Wisconsin Dells and feeling these six drops of rain falling on me from under the trees. However it wasn't raining. That trip was last year when I was already paying attention to the bugs around me. I still did not know what it was, until seen this at the nature center. 

They had a handout on programs they had which included learning about spittlebugs which I assumed was this little creature. 

Spittlebugs, Learning and Summer Fun Combined, First Week on Our Summer Bucket List 2015 

Free learning at nature centers, these activities eat up our day!

Peggy Notebart nature Museum - a great way to see Insects

Our Family hobby: Bug collecting. We did a bug study and review at the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum Bug Installation Exhibit Display. Mom is showing young son how big the bug is compared to something familiar, like moms finger. YES, those are huge beetles.

Peggy Notebart nature Museum - a great way to see Insects

With Younger Son

How about in video versions. . . 

Peggy Notebart nature Museum - a great way to see Insects

Our Very First EVER Insect Collection Bug Box it only took 2 years

Exploring Insects has been tremendous for our family. Learning, experiencing, and sharing wonderful moments together.

Our Very First EVER Insect Collection Bug Box it only took 2 years

The big reveal!

We are excited to share our FIRST BUG BOX! 

We made plenty of mistakes in making this collection. AND we learned more then our mistakes. That's probably why we keep doing it? We are avid bug collectors as our family hobby - Learn more at areyousureaboutthatblog.blogspot.com

Our Very First EVER Insect Collection Bug Box it only took 2 years 

These were some of the tools - totally amateur that made this bug box collection happen. 

• Empty containers (cleaned after the nutella was gone!)
• Pin cushion (I would use a box tho - little yucky bug bits and all)
• Clear nail polish - that is ONLY for the bugs.
• Nail polish remover - the poison that kills them in the bug jar (on a cotton ball- toxic!)
• Plastic tupperware container - to hold the stages bug in an air tight lid while they "cure"
• That PLUS Sign cut out - was for the moth balls. Now we just shave bits into the box directly . . . easier and clean.

We love insect collecting. Check out our blog to learn more about how to set up your own supplies. areyousureaboutthatblog.blogspot.com

How about in video versions. . . 

Our Very First EVER Insect Collection Bug Box it only took 2 years

Monarch Caterpillar Discovery in our Chicago Garden with 3 year old toddler

Date: June 22, 2015 > 

Monarch Caterpillar Discovery in our Garden > > 

Baby girl was playing In our yard on her stroller and she discovered twi lovely caterpillars. Both were on opposite ends of this plant bed, but both enjoying the Dill Weed. 

She is happy to pose with her discoveries. While I do have glass viles to collect soft body specimens in alcohol, however I haven't developed an interest or a need to collect soft body insects. 

How about in video versions. . . we have more monarch caterpillars - and a BUTTERFLY CAGE with caterpillars on the youtube channel. We even filmed a butterfly release many, many, many times.

Monarch Caterpillar Discovery in our Chicago Garden with 3 year old toddler

Frozen Bugs - An Alternative way to Kill Jars and prepare Specimens for Pinning

Our Summer 2014 bug collection is getting enourmous! We have exceeded all expectations and crossed the 1,000 specimens mark. Our two biggest finds with nearly 200 insects each added a whopping 400 insects in a brief 2 month (or so) period. We don't always use my unique kill jar method (Acetone nail polish remover on a cotton ball). We often use the freezer method when accessible.

Frozen Bugs - An Alternative way to Kill Jars and prepare Specimens for Pinning 

Which luckily freezers seem to always be accessible. Once we capture an insect, either dead or injured, we put them in our jars, or mom's makeshift bug envelope and freeze them. Freezing is a nice humane method. The insect nearly instantly gets drowsy / gets stunned from the cold. Their so small, the chill affects them instantly. The freezer method is also sterile because the jars (which we clean with soap and water after each capture) don't use chemicals like with traditional kill jars. Any bacteria the insects carry is within the safety of the jar.

In this picture I removed the lid and one fly for a size example. As always, I prefer plastic jars when working with my kids. We simply keep and clean plastic containers from what we love to eat - Nutella containers (with the paper lining from the inner lid removed), a Polish mustard jar (I make my awesome salad dressing with it & of course use a schmear on grilled Polish Sausage), and the blue point is a quickly made envelope (from paper we looked for when we found the Western Conifer Hemiptera).