Basil, Bug Scientist
Basil discovers a strange beetle and follows the clues to find out what it is.
On a summer morning, Basil found a strange insect on a log. He had never seen one like it. He took out a notebook and magnifying glass. ‘This is a mystery,’ he whispered.
Basil drew the bug carefully. He counted its legs: six. He noticed its shiny shell and tiny feelers. ‘Come look,’ he called to Hana. They crouched in the grass, watching it walk.
They visited Cleo the bear, who knew everything about insects. ‘Ah,’ said Cleo, studying the drawing. ‘That’s a stag beetle! It has big jaws that look scary but only wrestle other beetles.’
‘Amazing,’ breathed Basil. They went back and watched the stag beetle for a long time. They were careful not to touch or hurt it. When it had gone, they wrote down everything they had learned.
At school the next day, Basil showed the class the drawing and told them all about the stag beetle. ‘Bugs are brilliant,’ he said. And the whole class went out to look for more.
From then on, Basil was known as the Bug Scientist. And whenever he found a new creature, he sat down quietly, took out the notebook, and began to wonder.
The little lesson
Careful watching and asking questions lead to discovery.
Let’s talk about it
- What would you do to learn about a bug?
- How did Basil take care of the beetle?
Finish stories to collect Basil as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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Uma and the Mystery Beetle
Uma discovers a strange beetle and follows the clues to find out what it is.
The Rainbow Maker: Wren
Wren wonders where rainbows come from, and discovers how to make one at home.
The Volcano Experiment with Remy
Remy builds a volcano for the science fair, and the experiment goes bubbly wrong!
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