Weekly MUSE: Dragonflies

Photo Credit: Paul Stein

Last week I visited Emerald Park Elementary in Kent, Washington. And during our school assembly we talked about what MUSES inspired me to write HERBERT, my new book. Flies, honeybees, bullfrogs, and DRAGONFLIES were just a few.

I showed some of my research on these MUSES and thought I would share what I learned with you in the coming weeks.

If you have read my book, HERBERT, you know that the DRAGONFLIES are the most feared creatures in the book. So, let’s take a look at DRAGONFLIES and find out why they have such a SCARY reputation in the insect world.

Looks like we have found our MUSE! DRAGONFLIES!

Dragonflies were some of the first insects to evolve on Earth some 300 million years ago. So, while the dinosaurs were roaming, the dragonflies were soaring.

But these dragonflies were a bit different than the ones we see today. In shape, they were the same, but in size they were MUCH larger. Today dragonflies have a wingspan of up to five inches, but prehistoric dragonflies had wingspans of up to two feet! Some researchers believe there was more oxygen in the air back then, which allowed things to grow BIGGER.

Take a look at this video. About half way through you will see REAL fossils of these gigantic “flying dragons”!

WOW! Did you see the dragonfly emerging from the nymph stage of metamorphosis? Watching the wings unroll is one of the COOLEST things I have ever seen!

Dragonflies have three major life stages: egg, nymph and adult. This is called metamorphosis. Butterflies also undergo metamorphosis, but they have four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult.

Dragonfly eggs hatch underwater. The nymph dragonfly may live underwater for a few years before climbing to the surface. And while they are underwater, they are tiny predators. Take a look at this video to see a dragonfly nymph on the hunt.

And the hunt doesn’t end here. Once dragonflies become adults they catch their prey in midair. In fact, if a dragonfly loses its ability to fly, it will die of starvation.

Dragonflies have expert flying skills. They can hoover, fly straight up and down, and dart away at lightning speed (well at least it looks like). These mini aviators have inspired engineers to try building robots that can fly like dragonflies.

Photo Credit: Skyfish

Not only can dragonflies FLY very well, they can also SEE very well. Two gigantic eyes make up most of the dragonfly’s head. These are eyes are called compound eye because they have 100’s of lenses instead of just one lens like the human eye. This gives the dragonfly to see every angle, except directly behind them. That’s why dragonflies are so hard to catch!

Without these amazing predators we call DRAGONFLIES, we would have A LOT more mosquitos. Dragonflies can eat up to 100 mosquitos a day. That is 100 less mosquitos to feast on our blood. YAY, DRAGONFLIES!

There are nearly 5000 species of dragonflies. Some dragonflies are adults, some live for only a few days, while others may live up to a year.

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a bug collector and found a living prehistoric dragonfly?

WHAT IF your main character was a dragonfly who craved jelly beans instead of mosquitos?

WHAT IF your main character built a dragonfly helicopter?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “metamorphosis”. Here is the definition: a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism.

Weekly MUSE: Honeybees

Photo Credit: Metaphorical Pltypus

I was rummaging through my cupboard, looking for something sweet, when I came across a jar of honey. Yummy honey, I thought! Perfect!

I immediately grabbed a spoon, untwisted the lid, and dipped my spoon into the golden sweetness! As soon as the honey hit my tongue, I was in heaven. And after a few more spoonful’s my mind drifted to the tiny creatures that create the sugary perfection we call HONEY!

Looks like we’ve found our MUSE! And this one’s going to be SWEEEEEEEEET!

So, how do bees make honey, anyway?

Well, first we have to know how bees operate inside their hives. It is truly a small society where every bee has a specific job to do.

Queen Bee (center)
Photo Credit: Keith McDuffey

First, we have the QUEEN BEE. She is the only bee who lays eggs, up to 2000 eggs a day. All of her life, she is fed a special food called royal jelly. All bee larvae are fed this special food when they are young, but only the Queen is fed royal jelly all her life. This is why she is FULLY developed and able to lay eggs. She is the BIGGEST bee in the hive.

Side note: Royal jelly is a special food substance that bees discharge from glands in their heads. Sounds YUMMY, huh? I think I will stick to HONEY!

Next, we have DRONES. Drones are the only male bees in the hive, and there are only a few of these guys living at the hive. In fact, once they are finished mating with the Queen, they are kicked out!

The rest of the hive is made up of WORKER BEES. These are all underdeveloped females, meaning that they cannot lay eggs. Young worker bees tend to the Queen. Older worker bees serve as scouts (bee pioneers who look for food supplies and nesting sites), foragers (nectar and pollen gatherers), honeycomb builders, honey makers, and hive guards.

Now that you know a little bit more about the secret society of bees, watch this video to see how honey is made.
 

Pretty neat, huh!?

But there is something that this video left out. When bees collect nectar from flowers, they store it in their honey sacks (or honey stomach). When they get back to the hive, they spit-up the honey into the mouths of other bees, who will “chew” on it for a while. The “chewer” bee will naturally add enzymes to the nectar, which breaks it down onto a simply sugar. She will then deposit this altered nectar into the honeycomb.
 

From there, the bees will fan the nectar by buzzing their wings. This keeps the hive warm and helps to evaporate water from the nectar, leaving behind the gooey, sweet stuff we call honey. Once the honey is gooey enough, other worker bees will cap the honey with beeswax.

Remember those “scout” bees we learned about just a second ago? These bees are my favorite, because they are TRULY pioneers. They are the astronauts or the explorers of the BEE WORLD. They hunt for large flower populations and return to the hive to let the “forager” bees know where to collect nectar. But how do they communicate? They DANCE! Take a look at this video to see the famous bee “waggle dance”.

While most of us enjoy the honey that bees tirelessly create, there is something even MORE important that bees are responsible for. POLINATION!

While bees buzz around collecting nectar, they spread pollen from one plant to another. Without this transfer of pollen, plants would not be able to make fruit. And without fruit, there would be no seeds. And without seeds, there would be no plants. Get the picture?

The bottom line: The world would have a lot less food and a lot less plants without bees!

Speaking of food, who likes Honey Nut Cheerios? I DO! And I especially love Buzz, the honeybee character on the box. He has been trying to get kids to eat Honey Nut Cheerios since I was a kid. Take a look at this video of Buzz, and play some of his videogames by clicking here.

Written By: Professor Watermelon
Illustrated By: Josh Smart

Also, if you haven’t heard already, HONEYBEES were my MUSE when I wrote my latest book, HERBERT. Click here if you would like tolearn more about this book.

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a beekeeper, and the bees made a magical honey? What is special about this honey, and who wants it?

WHAT IF your main character was a Queen Bee who did not want to live at the hive all day laying eggs?

WHAT IF a scientist could make robotic honeybees?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “enzyme”. Here is the definition: any of various proteins, originating from living cells and capable of producing certain chemical changes in organic substances during digestion. 

The MUSEBOX: The March of the Wind-ups!

Dear Creative Writers!

Look at what I found in the MUSEBOX! These Wind-up toys are begging to be characters in your next story! Below, you will find a fun "story-starter", but if you already have an idea without using the story-starter that I provide, PLEASE go for it! This Creative Writing Challenge is worth $20 Melon Dollars!

Story-starter: Once upon a time, a wizard received a package. When he tore it open, he found seven wind-up toys...

I can't wait to see what you come up with! Please leave your stories in the comment section below, or you can bring them to class! See you soon!

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

WEEKLY MUSE: Cardinals

Male Cardinal 

I just returned, once again, from the HOOSIER State. You remember which state that is, don’t you? INDIANA!

And while I was there, a HUGE snowstorm blew its way across the state, leaving nine inches of snow in its path. I loved it!

But what I loved even more were the bright red Cardinals who would dash from snow-covered tree branch to snow-covered tree branch, searching the landscape for food.

Cardinals are easy to see any time of the year because of their bright red feathers, but they are even more stunning against the white snow.

Looks like we’ve spotted another MUSE, and we didn’t even need our binoculars. Let’s take a closer look at these crimson aviators we call CARDINALS and see what we can uncover.

Here are some general facts that I found:

Cardinals live mostly in the Eastern United States. They are NOT migratory, which means that they do not travel due to seasonal climate change. They stay put. Take a look at the video below to watch a Cardinal at a bird feeder.

Cardinals are average sized birds. They are eight to nine inches long and have a wingspan of ten to twelve inches across. The male is brilliant red with a black face and orange beak. The female is tan with highlights of red. She has a black face and orange beak.



Female Cardinal

Both male and female Cardinals are excellent songsters, which mean they chirp beautiful tunes to each other.

Cardinals eat a diet of mostly weed seeds, grains, fruits and sunflower seeds. They also sip the sugary sap from maple trees. Maple syrup, anyone?

Now, here are the most interesting CARDINAL facts that I uncovered:

Roman Catholic Cardinal

Cardinals get their name from early European settlers who thought this bird’s bright red plumage reminded them of the Catholic Cardinals’ bright red robes. Cardinals are also referred to as redbirds.

In the Eastern United States, people LOVE Cardinals. In fact, seven states claim the Cardinal as their state bird: Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

And… Have you ever heard of the St. Louis Cardinals? Or the Louisville Cardinals? Or the Arizona Cardinals? Cardinals are such a popular bird that several sports teams use the bird as their mascot. I don’t blame them! I would, too!

This leads me to the most interesting fact I uncovered. Cardinals can be very territorial, meaning that they will tirelessly defend the area they call home. And if they see their reflection in a window, they will even “fight” themselves by charging at the window.

Do I sense an ANGRY bird??? Maybe that is why the Cardinal was chosen as one of the lead characters in the video game, Angry Birds. Take a look at the fun video below to see the Cardinals and other birds cast in this popular game.



With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a blue cardinal?

WHAT IF your main character had a GIANT cardinal and traveled on the Cardinal’s back?

WHAT IF Cardinals were extinct, but your main character found one?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “climate”. Here is the definition: the average weather conditions of a specific regioin including temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, and cloudiness.