It was 6am at Grand Central. I was on my way to teach. The massive wheels and wings, oak leaves and helmets on relief in the semicircular windows soared overhead as the morning set into gear. I stood right below the heater. On these January days the heaters offer an overwhelming, but welcoming heat, a heat that doesn’t quit, the heat more welcomed in winter than any jacket, than any blanket, the heat where you would feel comfortable taking off your socks at home. I was only just caffeinated, standing against the wall because there are no seats in Grand Central on account of the amount of people experiencing homelessness who find shelter there. This city… I can’t speak too much on the reasons or solutions for this, but I just can’t understand why there can’t be universalized healthcare. Why so much of the government budget does not go to the care of its people. This is not even what I wanted to write about and here I am burying the lead: A mosquito found its way to me in January, orbiting me with an annoying persistence. I tried to imagine the latent pool in the bowels of the station that might have been the birthplace of this malseasoned creature, perhaps close to one of these heaters as well, and the 10-56 day life it would have depending on if it was male or female.
This made me think about insects, and the study of them, and the understanding of them. I’ve heard that all of the ants in the world weigh more than all of the people in the world. I’ve also heard that cockroaches will outlive humans, but that’s hearsay. They are terrifying: of course and they will live forever.
I can’t imagine killing. But I have killed insects (including a spider, which will haunt me for the rest of my life), and not only that, I have found myself on missions to kill scores of bedbugs and cockroaches that found themselves living in my various places of residence. I wouldn’t call these missions joyful at all, but they were directed, gamified in my mind. They had to be, which made them satisfying to complete and at once terrible.
And yet it was insects who survived in the end of my various raids. The cockroaches are never going to truly leave my cabinets. I’m sure some bedbugs moved somewhere else, away from the poisoned boric acidified bed and floorboards and couches, all of the pages of the books and the folds of clothing. I think it may be our destiny to learn from the insect.
So I consider a lesson plan that studies one type of insect, and as I usually do, I want to begin with folklore. There is a fair amount of folklore with insects involved. I see this lesson plan as being ratcheted to any age. The purpose is to understand all about the insect and why.
Here are some traditional retellings with insects:
(There are so many more also. I suppose you can include spiders, but that is a whole other thing, but go ahead if you want to)
The Iliad – descriptions of the warriors as bees. This is one of the most incredible pieces of literature I have read – hands down.
The Lion and the Ant
In Nahuatl (Aztec) culture, Xochiquetzal, the swallowtail
The Ant and the Grasshopper
The Scarab, ancient Egypt
The flies in the myth of Inanna (general Mesepotamia and flies)
In Hindu mythology, Parvati was summoned by the Gods to kill the demon Arunasura with black bees issuing from her body
Orion and the Scorpion
& the spider ones:
Anansi
Arachne and Athene
Project:
The past, present, and future of the insect.
Draw or paint the insect, it’s home. Draw it with other insects.
The past: go as deep in the past as you want, draw the evolution of the insect perhaps. FInd out how these insects have been understood in the past. Find a folktale, fable, or song about it. What information or wisdom did this cultural artifact hold about the insect?
The present: Is there news about this insect? What is the current understanding of this insect (has it changed since the cultural artifact you found?)
The future: You can look into studies on climate change. Based on their abilities, how do you see this insect adapting to the changing climate, or interacting with the humans?
Present this information in any way you want: presentation, essay, video, song, story.
Bending Tree Education 