Description

The life cycle of a stag beetle’s activity is spent underground, as a larva.  This can range from 3 to 7 years in length, depending upon certain factors.  Stag beetles are an endangered species and we need to preserve their habitats.  Once fully grown, the larvae leave their nest and build a large cocoon in the soil where they pupate and finally metamorphose into an adult.  Adults (in the Northern Hemisphere) spend the winter underground, emerging from mid-May.  By the end of August, the majority of them will die;  they do not survive the winter.

This unique material takes the Child from the verbal story; developing the sensorial (concrete) understanding of the material with the objects (sold separately), to the abstract, with the incorporation of images and labels.  Montessori Animal Kingdom classifies all animals for the zoology curriculum.  The colour coding for the insect classification is yellow, which is reflected on our life cycle working sheets.

Contents of the Life Cycle of a Stag Beetle Activity:

• 1 set of 3-part cards, classifying the nomenclature for the very young child.
• 1 Control chart.
• the labelled object working chart, for the objects (sold separately).
• unlabeled working chart, for the image and labels.
• the Child matches the real image of each life cycle of the stag beetle activity, to the labeled image on the 5 activity cards.
• 5 Definition cards with:
  • a control card,
  • a card with an incomplete phrase
  • labels to complete the phrase.
• a plastic A4 envelope stores all the contents.

The teacher can also use the definition cards, as an aid to tell the story of the stag beetle’s life cycle to very young children.

Childrens House wish to thank Lewis Scharpf for the use of his stunning image of the larva in the life cycle stages of the stag beetle.  Copyright © Lewis Scharpf.