by: Jennie Mazzucco

Somewhere around the dawn of adolescence, many students lose the fearlessness with which they grabbed worms from their driveways on rainy days, examining their undersides and stroking their backs. Yet the inherent interest in, and knowledge to be gleaned from, bugs lingers. So, how better for students of all ages to view actual bugs than from a safe two-inch distance. Educational Innovations’ ten varieties of Asian-imported bugs, sized small, medium, and large, each enclosed in transparent acrylic casing – makes this not only possible, but simple and enjoyable. The casing is designed to offer clear views of even the smallest openings and appendages on various spiders, cockroaches, and beetles. Each bug is approximately one to two inches in width, and ranges from two to five inches in length. Large size alone, therefore, facilitates comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the bugs – which may be enjoyed either in a school or home environment.

Not only do students feel more comfortable fully exploring the bugs through the protection of two inches of solid acrylic, but the protective covering obviates the possibility of snapping off a spider leg, scorpion claw, or beetle antennae. This durability allows for thorough and repeated examination of each bug – by even the most unforgiving hands: The bugs are as appropriate for early elementary schoolers as for college level Biology students.

Curious students will come to know the anatomical details of each bug by the truest and most beneficial mode of learning: experiencing the bugs for themselves. They will understand the importance of an arthropod’s compound eye by seeing it on the Green Chafer Beetle. They will comprehend the adaptive nature of the Asian Longhorned Beetle’s wings by viewing them up close. And they will serve as eyewitnesses to the defensive aposematic coloring of the centipede. It is by the kinesthetic approach offered by these bug specimens that students will not only enjoy, but also retain, the wonders of the bugs.