Embrace the Buzz: Preparing for the Incredible Cicada Emergence and Turning it into a Learning Experience

They’re coming.

Brace yourselves for this once in a lifetime natural event that's about to take center stage - the grand cicada emergence. This rare occurrence involves billions of cicadas surfacing from their underground homes after years, sometimes even up to 17 years, in hiding. When the time is right, they all rise together, turning the landscape into a cicada metropolis.

This year's cicada event is unique due to the sheer volume of cicadas expected to emerge. Referred to as "cicada-geddon," this is the largest emergence in centuries. This is a rare and spectacular natural event that provides valuable learning opportunities.

As educators, this is a wonderful opportunity to turn this extraordinary event into a memorable learning experience for our students.

Here are 10 Cicada-Geddon teaching ideas.

1. Cicada Lifecycle: Teach students about the lifecycle of cicadas, emphasizing their long period of growth underground and their brief but loud emergence.
2. Ecology Lessons: Use the emergence of the cicadas as a starting point for broader lessons on ecology and the interconnectedness of different species.
3. Math Lessons: Use the numbers involved in the cicada emergence for math lessons. For example, students can calculate how many cicadas are emerging per square foot.
4. Art Projects: Have students create art projects inspired by the cicadas, such as cicada drawings, paintings, or sculptures.
5. Research Projects: Assign students to research different aspects of the cicada emergence and present their findings to the class.
6. Field Trips: If possible, organize field trips to areas where the cicadas are emerging so students can observe the event first-hand.
7. Sound Recordings: Have students record the sound of the cicadas and use these recordings for music or science projects.
8. Writing Prompts: Use the cicada emergence as a writing prompt. Students can write poems, stories, or essays inspired by the event.
9. Citizen Science Projects: Encourage students to participate in citizen science projects related to the cicada emergence, such as tracking their locations or numbers.
10. Discussion on Adaptation and Survival: Use the cicadas as an example of unique survival strategies in nature, discussing their long developmental period and mass emergence as a form of predator saturation.

Here are some teaching and learning resources to help you make the most of this unique Cicada event.

• Periodical Cicadas
• A Parent’s Guide to the Spring Cicada Emergence: What You Need to Know
• Cicadas Are Coming. Biology Professor Breaks Down What to Expect
• Billions of cicadas bring buzzy magic to Missouri in 2024
• Trillions of underground wonders to emerge in ‘cicada-geddon’, largest in centuries

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