Going Batty!

If you go outdoors on a summer's night, you'll probably see some bats overhead as they hunt for mosquitos. Don't be afraid; bats rarely go near people. They're too busy finding their dinner!

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED

black construction paper
safety scissors
white craft glue
a hole-puncher
yarn

HERE'S WHAT TO DO

Nancy F. Castaldo is the author of many books packed with inspiring ideas for childhood discovery and learning. In addition to the three titles above, Nancy has written activity guides for teaching children ages 6 to 9 about the ocean, rainforests, deserts, and rivers. All of these titles are published by Chicago Review Press.

Click here to learn about these books and others by Nancy Castaldo.

Cut two circles of the same size out of the black construction paper. (If you teach very young students, you might provide pre-cut circles.)

Cut one circle in half, using a zig-zag cut.

To create bat wings, glue a zig-zag half-circle to each side of the whole circle. Attach a piece of yarn to hang it up.

MORE FUN!

Involve students in some of these extension activities:

Some people think that bats are a kind of bird, but they are not. What is the same about a bird and a bat? What is different? Read aloud Stellaluna by Janell Cannon so students might hear this story of a fruit bat that lived with a bird family.

Learn all about bats in Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats by Ann Earle.

FUN FACT

Bats hunt for their food using a system almost like radar. They send out sound wave signals and then, depending on how the sound waves bounce back, they can tell how near something is. This system is so finely tuned that bats can find flying mosquitoes. In fact, each bat can eat about 600 mosquitoes in an hour! Now, that's a bat with a big appetite.

ANOTHER RESOURCE

Education World's special Halloween Lesson Archive

ACTIVITY SOURCE

This activity is excerpted from Nancy Castaldo's Rainy Day Play, which is published by Chicago Review Press. This lesson idea is one of more than 65 imaginative activities from Rainy Day Play that are sure to inspire children as they discover and learn.

About the Author

A native of New York's Hudson Valley, Nancy Castaldo earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Marymount College and a Master of Arts from the State University of New York. As an environmental educator, author, and Girl Scout volunteer and board member, Castaldo has led numerous children's workshops. Her school programs include workshops on ocean creatures and other nature topics, creative writing, and pizza making/Italy. She has conducted programs at the Boston Children's Museum, Atlanta Zoo, and Tennessee Aquarium. Castaldo's books include River Wild: An Activity Guide to North American Rivers; Oceans: An Activity Guide for Ages 6-9; Deserts: An Activity Guide for Ages 6-9; and Rainforests: An Activity Guide for Ages 6-9. She is also author of a historical-fiction picture book, Pizza for the Queen. To learn more about Nancy and her books, check out her Web site, www.nancycastaldo.com.

08/07/2006