SLUGS!

As a part of learning about beneficial insects, as well as creatures we need to protect our garden plants from, the Orcas held slug races. Everyone was to go on a slug hunt at home and bring their slug to school. Some children couldn't find any, while others found several and shared with their friends. We made a big, circular race track on the floor, and we kept it moist with a spray bottle.

We placed the slugs on the outer ring, and some nice green leaves in the inner circle, and then we watched to see which slugs would make it to the finish line. Some were fast, and some were slow.

This is a Banana Slug, and he was the biggest one. Everyone thought he would be the winner because he was so big, but some of the smaller slugs were much faster.

Here is a different slug,

and we even had a beautiful snail in the race! We learned that slugs and snails have one foot, move on a slimy trail, have their mouth on their foot, and their teeth on their tongue (all 27,000 of them!). Their eyes are on horns, or stalks on their heads, and they breathe through a hole in their side. Pretty cool, huh?