Something amazing will be happening all along the eastern United States this spring. The Brood II Periodical Cicadas will soon be emerging - they have been underground for 17 YEARS!!!!!
Soon our days will be filled with the super, loud rattle made by males trying to attract females. The sound can reach 90 decibels! (A lawn mower reaches 90 decibels). There will be millions of huge red-eyed cicadas everywhere! (Please see my 4/29/13 blog post about how insect with compound eyes actually see - they DO NOT see multiple teeny images!!)
This is the Power Point I use to explain all about the cicadas. I use this for my students in PK- 4- they have soooo many questions about these amazing creatures & this answers just about all of them! These creatures went underground in 1996 and we will not see this brood again until 2030, how cool is that?!
In my region of NJ - the cicadas have not yet emerged but they will soon & I can't wait! I will be picking up & examining every dead specimen I find! (I know that is gross to most people but I am fascinated by bugs!) Luckily, I have a very understanding husband who is by now used to being married to this nutty science girl!
Worksheet I use with my kids:
Have the cicadas emerged in your region of the country?? Please let me know!
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