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Mini-lessons

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What do you think these are? Hint: Sometimes they hang from branches. After a few weeks pass, they change shape…
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They’re cocoons of the Tiger Wing Butterfly! This is how the adult looks. The adults aren’t shiny like the cocoons are, but…
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...here’s something else shiny--something shiny blue in the leaves. Can you tell what it is?
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It’s a butterfly called a Blue Morpho! The insides of its wings are bright, shiny blue, but the outsides are brown to help it hide!
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What could this be?
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Hint: you can eat it. Have you eaten anything that’s round and blue before?
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They’re berries! They’re called Marble Berries, and they grow in forests in Africa. Sometimes birds decorate their nests with them.
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Here are some seeds from a different plant that are a similar shiny blue color! These are Hogberry Seeds from Mexico.
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This is a very close-up view of a living thing. Can you tell what kind of creature it is? Hint: It’s small. It doesn’t have fur or feathers.
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It’s a beetle! Beetles are some of the shiniest, most colorful kinds of creatures on Earth!
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Some people even use beetle wings in jewelry! (These passed away naturally.)
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These photos are of the same hummingbird. Why do you think its face is pink and shiny in one photo, and black in the other?
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Here’s a hint… look at the blue morpho butterfly again. Do its wings always look bright, shiny blue?
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Even though they look different colors, they’re the same feathers! The feathers only look pink when light hits them at the right angle!
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Many birds have shiny feathers! Even pigeons have a few! Next time you see a pigeon, look closely at its neck!
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These round rocks look a little strange…. Let’s break one open! There’s something special inside… do you know what?
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Check it out! These rocks have hollow spaces inside. Sometimes crystals form in the hollow spaces! The rocks are called geodes.
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Check out the size of these geodes, some of the largest in the world! One is so huge, you can actually crawl around inside of it!
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Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll?

We pulled three questions from our jar. Which question do you want to explore?

  • Are any animals picky eaters?

    -Evan, 4th Grade

  • Could a baseball pitcher throw faster than the wind?

    -Colin, 2nd Grade

  • Why do some animals sleep during the day?

    -Eliana, Kindergarten

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Who created the constellations?

Watch the video to discover the answer and don't forget to vote for next week's question. There are mysteries all around us. Have fun and stay curious!

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