Ok, so my P3s learnt about Life Cycles for Science this term. I got them to keep mealworms as 'pets' so that they could observe their metamorphosis - from its larva stage to a beetle.

We kept some in class as well in a container on the teacher's table. I was just as excited as my pupils to observe the changes that we are able to see.

Its been a couple of weeks and we've had the joy of watching some of them metomorphosize and we now have 2 beetles sitting in the container on my table.

That was not just it. In fact there were more to come.

So last Tuesday, during an English period when I was going through a worksheet, I happened to glance at the beetles and spotted them doing the doggy. Instinctively, I quickly, but carefully (don't want to disturb them lovebirds), put the container under the visualizer (I thank God for giving man the brilliance to create this wonderful invention. Oh our poor teachers in the past had to make do with those big and bulky OHPs and transparencies and markers....for which doing what I was doing would be visually impossible), for all to see.

Me: Look! They're mating!

Them (almost in chorus): What is mating?

Me: Remember we learnt that living things reproduce, right? They're making babies!

One of them: Where's the baby??

Another one of them: Aiyah youuu... forgot ah?? Insects lay eggs first then got baby! Beetle insect whatt...

Me: That's right. The female beetle will lay the eggs in a few days. The one at the top is male and the one below is female.

One of them: How you know Mdm Marleena? What's that thing coming out of that beetle's bottom?? (actually he used the word 'butt' of cos)

At this point I was quite stumped on how to explain it without going into too much of the technical details. I was surprised that they know little about the concept and the process of procreation. And I was glad nobody mentioned the 's*x' word.

Me: Oh the male beetle has to put something from inside its body into the female beetle's body first before the female beetle can produce eggs. That thing at the bottom is like a tube which they use to do the transfer.

One of them: Oh thats how they do it?? The male beetle have to sit and press press press on the female's body??

Me (trying to contain my laughter): Errm...Yes, something like that...

And they looked on in awe...

How innocent.

They'll catch on in a couple of years I'm sure and hopefully they'll remember my impromptu lesson.

Who needs lesson plans when teachable moments like these come when you least expect it?

And they're more meaningful and VERY visual.

Last I checked, they were still on honeymoon.

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