Child's Question: What are centipedes if they aren't arachnid or insect?
At the beginning of this unit while reading an insect book centipedes were identified as not insects. Alfie disagreed "Yes they are!" After learning that insects have 3 body parts and 6 legs we concluded that centipedes couldn't be insects and they aren't arachnids either, so what are they??!!
We learned that centipedes (and millipedes and wood bugs) are classified as myriapods - an animal that has a long body composed of many segments with many legs.
The children often find centipedes and millipedes in the forest but they were amazed to see this video of a giant African millipede which is the largest species on the planet! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Ey_tAqAwQ
What Do Centipedes Eat?
Centipedes and Millipedes are carnivorous creatures and while Canadian millipedes are harmless to humans, centipedes can give a nasty sting.
The children made centipedes using circles to represent the segments. Their work shows their understanding that centipedes have many segments and legs!
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