In some parts of the world they are kept as pets due to their peculiar appearance and interesting behavior. We’re talking about the Madagascar or hissing cockroach.
On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Jordan Hills Elementary School where hissing cockroaches are in one classroom helping students study science and insect behavior. Hear what students have to say about the unique project and how the ancient bugs are contributing to the learning process in a pretty big way.
Audio Transcription
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. In some parts of the world, they are kept as pets due to their peculiar appearance and interesting behavior. We're talking about the Madagascar or hissing cockroach.
On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Jordan Hills Elementary School, where hissing cockroaches are in one classroom helping students study science and insect behavior. Hear what students have to say about the unique project and how the ancient bugs are contributing to the learning process in a pretty big way.
We're here at Jordan Hills with third-grade teacher Melissa Reynolds and I can't take the smile off my face because this is perhaps the most unique school visit I've ever made and that is to visit your classroom cockroaches. Tell me a little bit about that.
Melissa Reynolds:
So last year, the FOSS program was new to Jordan Hills, and in the FOSS program, there is an activity about crayfish. And in Utah, it's illegal to transport crayfish from their natural habitat to your home or anywhere else or to another habitat without first killing them, and so we can't bring crayfish in for the FOSS part of that. We're supposed to learn about behaviors and adaptations.
Anthony Godfrey:
So so far, I've already learned that I to be more careful with crayfish. Not that I've ever transported live crayfish like a common criminal, but I will know not to do that in the future.
Melissa Reynolds:
Or you'll be imprisoned.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's right.
Melissa Reynolds:
No, but so there's an alternate activity in the book that says we can use hissing cockroaches instead. So I--
Anthony Godfrey:
No wait, hissing cockroaches.
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, these are the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, not the yucky kind you find on your kitchen floor. Not my kitchen floor, but others.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, other unfortunate kitchen floors, yes.
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, these are not the yucky, nasty cockroaches. So these are Madagascar hissing cockroaches. And the activity is somewhat the same. They still talk about the different adaptations that they use, the behaviors that they have. You identify different structures on the animals. And so it works well, and it's very guided through the FOSS system.
Anthony Godfrey:
So tell everyone what FOSS is for those who may not know.
Melissa Reynolds:
FOSS is the science program that our district is providing for us. It's really an all-inclusive program. It comes with a couple of bins for each unit that you teach, and I'm doing the Life Structures Unit this year. I say that I'm doing it because, just like Boston was saying, we each decided, as three of the third-grade teachers, we'll each take one and teach it to all the classes in third grade, mostly because the other teachers did not want to do cockroaches.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you are the designated cockroach teacher.
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, yes. So the kids get really excited to come to my science group because they get to see the cockroaches, they get to hold them. One of the activities we do is what happens when we touch their antenna? What happens when we leave them alone with a cardboard tube, what happens when we touch their abdomen, what happens when we hold them? And they get to see what animals do to react and then we talk about why they have those reactions as instincts to keep them alive.
Anthony Godfrey:
What are the two little kind of antennae right down below the main big ones? Their two little dangly ones.
Melissa Reynolds:
These ones that are right by his mouth.
Anthony Godfrey:
And have you named any of them?
Melissa Reynolds:
No. No, there was. So we had originally two cockroaches when I first started doing it last school year and none of the other teachers were that brave and we weren't rotating. So I was just teaching my class and I wanted to have more cockroaches because the program says you need about eight to do everything that you're supposed to do. Because then you introduce them to other cockroaches and see what they do when they're around other cockroaches. And so I said, “okay, I want them to have more cockroaches.” So I talked to Mr. Squire in our school. He teaches second grade and he has had cockroaches before too.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how about that? On purpose?
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, on purpose.
Anthony Godfrey:
Right.
Melissa Reynolds:
And my son when he was in second grade, he's now in sixth, when he was in second grade he said, "Mom, can we please take home a cockroach?" And I said, "Heavens no. We are never having a cockroach. Never will you get to take home a cockroach." And he begged and begged and I said, "No, and here I am now with 140 or more cockroaches."
Anthony Godfrey:
And that was my next question. So you're supposed to have eight. You now have 140. You are the Outstanding Educator of the Year for Jordan Hills and when I came to give you that award, we talked about cockroaches. I had heard about this in your classroom and when you invited me back, you emailed me that all of the over 100 babies were all ready to go and I could come anytime. Tell me, why did you go from 8 to 140 cockroaches?
Melissa Reynolds:
Well, I only had those two and I kept trying to get them to have babies so I gave them a heater, made it really moist inside so that they would be happy because that's what Mr. Squire told me to do. And then they just had like maybe four or five last summer and I was really kind of bummed. I thought, "Oh, I just need some more," and then none of them really lived except for that one that I was just holding, the male. He lived. And then I bought two new females in November and those two females and that male, now there are over 140. And they had their first batch of babies in February, on the 10th of February. And then it seems like I keep looking in there and there's more babies every day. I mean, that's not true, but it feels like that.
Anthony Godfrey:
There are more and more cockroaches in your classroom.
Melissa Reynolds;
They start out as little tiny, about the size of a potato bug. And then they molt seven or so times until they're an adult.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, when you told me that there were baby cockroaches for us to come see, I was really expecting teeny tiny cockroaches. I was a little bit shocked when I came in and I saw cockroaches the size of, oh, what would you say that is, like a band-aid?
Melissa Reynolds:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I just thought, wow, that is an enormous cockroach.
Melissa Reynolds:
These ones we found a couple of days ago and they are teeny tiny.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, look at the little ones underneath the dish. After you've looked at the big ones, the little ones can actually look kind of cute.
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, they are very cute when they start out.
Anthony Godfrey:
Although they move very quickly, which is alarming. It feels like they could be anywhere you don't want them to be in an instant.
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes. The baby ones are a little more quick and unpredictable.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now these, the big ones, are shiny and formidable, and they actually look like you could be seeing them in a terrarium at a zoo or on display somewhere because they really do look quite exotic I must say.
Melissa Reynolds:
They actually have them at the aquarium in Draper.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, do they?
Melissa Reynolds:
They have a display with some of them in there.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you said that initially, you were a little bit hesitant about this.
Melissa Reynolds:
Oh yes. I tried to pick them up for the very first time from the little container that I got at the pet store and they hissed at me and I screamed and I just couldn't pick them up. So for the first little bit, I used a paper towel roll and got them to crawl in the paper towel roll and then I kind of shook them into their enclosure and I was terrified of them. But now I'm used to them and they don't hiss at me quite as often and I've learned how to handle them and how to pick them up.
Anthony Godfrey:
And how do your students react to them?
Melissa Reynolds:
They think they tickle when they hold them. One of them actually last year got scared and screamed and it fell on the floor and it was okay, they have that exoskeleton. But they do different reactions. Some of them want to hold them every day, and I wish we had time to do that every day but we don't, and some of them don't want to touch them but most of them at least want to try one time and then they tell me it tickles.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay and what do you hope that the students take away from the experience of having cockroaches in the class and from the lessons associated with those cockroaches?
Melissa Reynolds:
Well, it's really actually quite neat that they get to see a full life cycle of these cockroaches because not only do they talk about their behaviors and their adaptations, they've actually seen them grow. They always come to the front right here when they're molting and so we get to see them push the molt off and it's really a neat process for them to see an animal life cycle full scale. They get to see it start out as a baby and they get to see it grow a little bigger and a little bigger and a little bigger and we talk about when they molt and it's neat that they can apply what they're seeing in the classroom to other animals. That they have different stages that they're growing into and just be a little more connected with science in the real world.
Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's fabulous.
Stay with us when we come back we take a tour of the Cockroach terrarium.
Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.
Anthony Godfrey:
Hope, tell me what you think about having cockroaches in your classroom.
Hope:
I think it's pretty cool that there's cockroaches in here, and I'm really excited to like hold one when we can.
Anthony Godfrey:
Have you held one before?
Hope:
Uh-huh like in fall when she brings them to the class. I hold held one.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh cool, and do you look at them everyday kind of as you walk by?
Hope:
Yeah, usually. Sometimes I don't because there's like everybody in front of it, but I usually do.
Anthony Godfrey:
So it's pretty popular to see the cockroaches?
Hope:
Yeah
Anthony Godfrey:
Hope, do you want to adopt one and take it home?
Hope:
Maybe if my dad and mom is fine with it I think my mom is fine with it, but I'm not sure with my dad.
Anthony Godfrey:
You think your dad might be a tougher sell?
Hope:
Mm-hmm.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I understand Thank you Hope. What's your name?
Boston:
Boston
Anthony Godfrey:
Boston, tell me about this one right here.
Boston:
So the white ones have molted and sometimes, so we always catch them in the act of molting. So it's really common because they're 140 plus.
Anthony Godfrey:
So with 140 cockroaches you're generally going to see one molting pretty often.
Boston:
Pretty much every day we see one or two in the morning. Sometimes you can see their skin still on their butt.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow and what does it mean for them to molt?
Boston:
It means for them to lose their shell so they can get a bigger one.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you said I shouldn't touch the one that just molted. Why is that?
Boston:
You can touch it, but very lightly. If you press it too hard or squish it too hard, then it will get squished and die.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, because it's very soft right now and kind of vulnerable. Okay.
Boston:
They really like in the dark up there because, they also like a little tunnel, and it creeps me out so much when they crawl out of the tiki now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, here in the terrarium, right?
Boston:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, we're looking in on several cockroach friends.
Boston:
Some of them can just sneak under that little hole in the cork rock.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.
Boston:
This is the one we named Big Mama. And the dad that's still alive which was original. We named him Big Daddy. I mean Tiny Daddy.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, Big Mama and Tiny Daddy. Well, how do you keep track of who the original mom is? Are there distinct markings on these kissing cockroaches?
Boston:
Yes, you can tell if they're male or females 'cause the bumps.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Melissa Reynolds:
Which one has bumps?
Anthony Godfrey:
Where are the bumps and who has them?
Boston:
The bumps are always on the males. The females have tiny ones, but you just really can't see them at all.
Melissa Reynolds:
And where are they?
Boston:
They're on like the back of its head. So we're doing rotations and currently the last rotation for our class, Mrs. Alvies, is my mom's.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay, cool. The Tiki face looks to be screaming.
Boston:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
But it has 15 cockroaches on top of it, so I understand why it may be screaming. That may be very uncomfortable.
Boston:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Do you wanna see my impression of a cockroach?
Boston:
Sure.
Anthony Godfrey:
You can tell me whether you think it's good or not. Are you ready? You guys ready to see my impression of a cockroach?
Boston:
Yeah.
(Students laughing)
Anthony Godfrey:
What do you think?
Students:
Yeah. Good!
Anthony Godfrey:
Is that good?
Students:
It's true, it's true.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right, kind of the antenna moving independently. I worked on that for a long time, so I'm glad you like it.
Boston:
So that blue one is, that blue dish is supposed to be the food dish, but they would probably get stuck if they were the babies.
Anthony Godfrey:
So what's on the blue dish? Is that salt?
Boston:
No, that's a cotton ball.
Anthony Godfrey:
A cotton ball?
Boston:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Do they like--
Boston:
That's how they get their water.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's how they clean their ears? No, that's how they get their water.
Boston:
Yeah, and the dishes glow in the dark.
Anthony Godfrey:
The dishes glow, I'm learning a lot very quickly here. So the dishes glow in the dark, the cotton is to give them something to drink, and they really like being on top of Tiki Tower. And they're soft once they molt, so you have to be gentle with them. No problems here.
Boston:
And usually, it's the one that molted eats their own shell that they had just molted. But sometimes, since there's a bunch of cockroaches...
Anthony Godfrey:
Do they eat each other's shells?
Boston:
Yeah.
Melissa Reynolds:
That one's eating it right now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, look at that. Let me get my glasses on so I can appreciate the fine detail of that. Yep. Can confirm. All right. Well, thank you very much for giving me a tour of the terrarium. Have any of you wanted to name the cockroaches? Have any of you named any of them?
Boston:
I named one Bob.
Anthony Godfrey:
You named one Bob? Is it Bob short for Robert or is it just Bob the Cockroach?
Boston:
Bob.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. How about you? Did you name one? Yeah. What did you name?
Student #1:
I named one of them like Luke.
Anthony Godfrey:
You named him Luke?
Student #1:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Is that after someone?
Student #1:
Not really. Just seems like the right name for that cockroach.
Anthony Godfrey:
Just seems like the right name for that cockroach.
Student #1:
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Now how do you know that Luke and Bob are not the same cockroach?
Student #1:
Because they're not, well cockroaches are not really not the same all the, both each other.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you can tell the difference between cockroaches now?
Student #1:
Sometimes, yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Something you did not know you were going to learn in third grade. How about you? Did you name any of them?
Student #2:
No, but really some people have been calling them spider roach because they were climbing up the glass.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, spider roach because they climbed up the glass. Okay. Oh no, wait. Oh, they're out in the world here. Look at those things. They are big and fat and juicy aren't they? Wow.
Melissa Reynolds:
To a lizard or someone who might eat it? Yes. So on their backs right here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Melissa Reynolds:
This one that's crawling towards you. That one is the male.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, I can see the bumps very easily now.
Melissa Reynolds:
And a lot of people think that those are their eyes, but their eyes are underneath them. The heads are like an ant head underneath.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Melissa Reynolds:
It's like busy. Anyway, so they have their heads underneath there, and many people think that those are their eyes, but those are just, they call them male bumps.
Anthony Godfrey:
Male bumps.
Melissa Reynolds:
So that's how you know that that one is a male cockroach.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, now is that dog food that they're eating?
Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Melissa Reynolds:
They eat dog food. It's the easiest thing to keep in there that won't mold unless it gets really wet or anything. But then once or twice a week, I throw in like lettuce, they eat fruits and vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Anthony Godfrey:
So a balanced diet, a balanced diet. Okay, very good.
Melissa Reynolds:
They really like the lettuce.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Well, here's the important question. Do they fly?
Melissa Reynolds:
No, they do not fly, they do not bite. They don't do anything except for they have little like, I don't know how to describe them. They're kind of like little barbs almost on their legs, but they don't hurt you. It's mostly for them to be able to grip and also for defense so that when something's trying to grab them, they can push against with their leg and get away from that creature. That's the only thing that might feel like it's poking you or anything, but they won't bite and they can't harm you. So it's really nice.
Anthony Godfrey:
I’m building up to holding one. I'm not there yet, but hopefully, I can get there very quickly. So, what happens we're closing in on the end of the year. What happens when in a few days school is over and the cockroaches need continued care? What are you going to do with the cockroaches at that point?
Melissa Reynolds:
Well, I am planning to take them home. They've been home with me last summer, not all 140 yet, and over longer breaks because I want to make sure they get fed. But I have opened up to the third-grade students in our school too. I'm sending home an adoption form and they can have a parent permission slip signed saying that they can take a cockroach or two home with them over the summer as long as they'll treat them nicely. And then I also, maybe you could help with this, I don't know, if there are other third grade teachers that are doing the FOSS program and they would like to have cockroaches in their classrooms, I am more than willing to share my 140 because they can be pricey on Amazon. They're $20 to $30 for a pair of cockroaches. So I wouldn't sell them to you. They are yours for the taking and you can use them in your classrooms if that's something you're interested in.
Anthony Godfrey:
We can definitely email third-grade teachers with the email subject line, "Free cockroaches." Just see if we attract some attention that way. And if there's somebody listening who's dying to have a hissing cockroach in their life, by all means reach out and then let's see if we can help you out.
So Boston, your home becomes a cockroach hotel over the summer. How does that feel having them at home as well?
Boston:
It feels really good because sometimes the cockroaches hiss at Mom when she picks them us and sometimes they go like really really fast so it just turns into a funny thing.
Anthony Godfrey:
If I pick one up, do you think it's going to hiss at me? Because if it hisses at your mom, your mom is very good to these cockroaches. So if they're hissing at her, I really think they're gonna hiss at me, do you think?
Boston:
Yeah, because I think it's just like if they know you, like I think they can like feel you and smell you with their antenna or something, or they just might not be familiar to strangers.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well you know what, I'm gonna pick one up, I'm going to. So I'll let you know whether it hisses at me or not, okay?
Boston:
I'll even tell you how to pick it up so it doesn't just...
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how do you... yes, how do you pick it up?
Boston:
Um, so you have to pick it up on its sides with your middle finger and thumb like this. Lightly pick it up and put it onto your hand. And if it gets too far up here and might fall off, you just do the same thing with your other hand.
Anthony Godfrey:
Just make sure there's always a hand for him to step onto.
Boston:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Uh, I might have your mom pick it up for me. Thank you for inviting me into your cockroach corner, your cockroach classroom, and answering some of the cockroach conundrums that have been plaguing me. This is very, very interesting and thank you for stretching yourself and going all in. I see it not just in the cockroach cage, but I see other stuff growing and happening all over your classroom that makes it a very engaging environment. So thanks for all the hard work you're putting into making this a great experience for these third graders.
Melissa Reynolds:
Absolutely. Thanks.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.