Entomology is the study of insects (things with six legs), and arachnology is the study of spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites (things with eight legs). Both insects and arachnids are ubiquitous and can be observed and collected in nearly every habitat in nearly every part of the world (including libraries!) regardless of season or whether your facility has inside or outside space. Insects are ideal organisms for study by urban, suburban, and rural youth. Insects share all our spaces, regardless of socioeconomic status or where we live. This PLIX remix is designed to be a patron-powered activity that you can facilitate while working the circulation desk, asking the participants to do each next step as they complete the previous one.

Set up the activity by framing a key question:

Ask one of the following questions to get them started thinking. You can ask the others later as patrons check in with you during their scavenger hunt:

Pass out blank paper or printouts of the library/site plan, and have patrons define their "field" site or study area. Encourage patrons to work collaboratively in small groups to identify an area, and then map the building or surroundings. The goal of this is to have a map on either the paper or piece of cardboard provided to share where insects have been found or collected during the next part of the activity.

Suggested Timing: 45 minutes

Ask participants to spend the next 15 to 30 minutes exploring the tangible world around them, taking a very close look at their surroundings, in a bug "scavenger hunt!" This exploration can take place either be indoors or outdoors. During this time, they'll be tasked with locating any bug —or parts/remnants of bugs—which can be found during the survey, and taking inventory of what they discover along the way. Provide tape, pencils, and markers so that participants may choose what form of "collection" (physical samples, drawings, photos) work best for them while working on the activity.

Upon returning, have participants share what they have found covering the distribution, size, and frequency of their bug findings. Ask participants what they think the data means and if there were signs of insects being present in an area. Was the bug near a window, perhaps trying to escape, or find warmth in the sunlight? Was the bug hidden in a remote corner, building out a habitat or seeking refuge from human inhabitants? Were bugs found near other bugs, or alone?

Suggested Timing: 15 minutes

A bonus activity can be completed by asking participants to sort which insects they think would be found inside versus outside, and placing both in the intersection of the Venn diagram. Encourage patrons to remix the labels of the Venn Diagram, comparing their findings based on other criteria than habitat (for example based on physical features or behavior!).

Suggested Timing: 30 minutes

It's time to take what patrons learned from their scavenger hunts and transform it into a speculation of future evolution! For this activity, ask participants to ponder what attributes would make for the "perfect" library insect. Have them draw on the specimen they collected "in the field," and brainstorm which features of those bugs make them suited for life in the library. Ask participants to share their insect perfect library insect as well as the attributes which make it well suited to live in the library. (For this part of the activity, it can be handy to have some book references from your collection that help describe some features/adaptations of insects and arachnids. Here's one online resource to help get your patrons started.)

Discuss what participants see outside, and in their own spaces to draw inspiration. From there, pass out the insect part template and discuss the following anatomical terms:

Suggested Timing: 20 minutes (10 min for the activity, 10 min for clean-up & hand washing)

Once patrons have completed all of the workshop components, it's time to discuss some conclusions about their explorations! Gather around one side of the circulation desk or another table (perhaps using a picnic table or shady area to sit down together as a group, if working outside!). Ask each participant to share something interesting they noticed in the field — encouraging them to share their field site surveys and observations with the group. Encourage patrons to continue their hunt for and analysis of bugs in other contexts, like at home, at school, on walks, etc., and report back to you next time they're at the library!