Grade 3 in Madagascar!

Ok, so we know all the awesome animals on the well-known movie Madagascar, but today we were able to meet a native of the country!  This native is part of an special group in which 80% of the species' from Madagascar do not live anywhere else on the planet.  We learned this specialization is probably due to the fact that Madagascar is an island that experts believe broke off from the main part of Africa a very long time ago and different species ended up living there.  The "native" we met was a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (MHC)!  We used a t-chart to take notes on physical adaptations, behaviors, adults, and nymphs (young).  We observed so many things and even heard one of our MHC hiss.  

After we concluded our scientific investigation, we used the icon of depth and complexity Multiple Perspectives to put ourselves in place of the MHC.  Some of our responses:

If I were a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, I would...

-read about the life of human beings and then write a report about it.  Maegan
-make humans not dislike us!  Carter
-make the world's first robot roach.  Brock

I would dislike...
-having hairy legs and getting walked on.  Jake
-people pushing on me and doing stuff I don't like.  Elise

I would wonder...
-has anyone (MHC) ever survived in America?  Brady
-how does a piece of meat taste?  Cora
-if humans would like me or not.  Eden

I would want people to know...
-I am harmless, and not nasty!  Adam
-that we won't hurt them (humans).  Hayden
-we are not like American cockroaches.  Coltin

I wish I could have gotten pictures of everyone who held the MHC, but I was picking them up and putting them into hands myself and couldn't operate the camera at the same time.  I was amazed at how many of us actually wanted to hold one-most of our class!  They were very calm with the animals!  MHC, like 99% of the cockroach population is clean and cannot harm us.  I think knowing this fact helped quite a bit!  Of course, we still ALL washed our hands when done!