Hey there! Get ready for an exciting adventure with The Brain Scoop. We’re going to answer some cool questions from our friends at Matoska International School in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Let’s dive in and learn some amazing things!
Here in Montana, we have tons of squirrels and chipmunks. They’re everywhere! In the past, students in biology classes would collect them as part of their studies. I always say, “You can never have too many squirrels!”
Long ago, the people who prepared animals for display also made furniture. They used materials like straw, hay, cotton, wire, twigs, and even metal. They also used special chemicals to keep bugs away, kind of like bug spray but stronger. Today, we use natural cotton stuffing, wire, and wooden sticks. Sometimes, we even use foam shaped like the animal we’re working on.
Sometimes, people call me when they see a deer or bear that has passed away. Local hunters might give us parts of animals they don’t need, like elk feet. We also find many birds that accidentally fly into windows. Poor birds!
Before you’re born, your skeleton is made of something called cartilage, which is the bendy stuff in your nose and ears. As you grow, this cartilage turns into bone through a process called ossification. Bones have a spongy part called marrow, which is like a blood factory. It helps make blood, which carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. This is true for humans and other animals too!
Different animals have special features to help them survive. Horses have big lungs to help them run fast. Some whales have hearts as big as cars! Snakes have organs lined up inside their bodies, with one lung that’s really long. Cows have a special stomach with four parts to help them digest grass. Pigs have organs that are a lot like ours!
Animals have different ways of being born. Some, like reptiles and birds, hatch from eggs. Others, like most mammals, are born alive, meaning they grow inside their mothers. Amphibians lay eggs that turn into tadpoles, which later become frogs or salamanders.
Most of the animals we talk about stay in the museum. We don’t have a Brain Scoop truck, but maybe you could design one for us! Send your Brain Scoop truck drawings to [email protected]. A big thank you to Ms. Bianco’s class for the awesome questions. This has been an episode of The Brain Scoop!
Animal Observation Journal: Start a journal to observe squirrels and chipmunks in your neighborhood or local park. Note down their behaviors, what they eat, and where they live. Draw pictures of them and their surroundings. Think about these questions: What do you notice about their movements? How do they interact with each other? What do they do to find food or stay safe?
Build a Mini Museum Exhibit: Using materials like clay, sticks, and cotton, create a small model of an animal you learned about. Think about how you would prepare this animal for display in a museum. What materials would you use? How would you make sure it looks like the real animal? Share your exhibit with your family and explain what you learned about how animals are prepared for display.
Design Your Own Brain Scoop Truck: Imagine you are designing a Brain Scoop truck to travel and teach others about animals. Draw your design and think about what features it would have. Would it have a special area for displaying animal models? How would you make it fun and educational for kids? Share your design with your class or family and explain your ideas.
Welcome to a special edition of The Brain Scoop, where we’re going to answer some questions from our friends at Matoska International School in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Hold on to your horses, because this is going to be amazing! We have a lot of squirrels and chipmunks here in Montana—hundreds of them! They’re really easy to find. In the past, biology classes even required students to collect them. And you know what I always say: You can never have too many squirrels!
In earlier times, the people who prepared animals for display were also the ones who upholstered furniture. They used materials like straw, hay, cotton, wire, twigs, and even metal. They also used chemicals to help protect the animals from pests, similar to how you might use bug spray when camping, but a bit more hazardous. Nowadays, we use natural cotton stuffing, wire, and wooden dowels. Sometimes, we even use pre-shaped foam that resembles the animal we’re preparing.
Occasionally, when people are driving around, they might see a deceased deer or bear and call me to see if I want it. Local hunters sometimes donate parts of animals they don’t need, like elk feet. We also find many dead birds under windows because they try to fly through the glass. Poor birds!
Before you’re born, while you’re still in your mother’s womb, your skeleton is made of cartilage. Cartilage is the flexible material found in your nose and ears. Over time, your cartilage skeleton collects minerals, which hardens it into bone. If you want to sound really smart, this process is called ossification. Bones contain spongy material called marrow, which is crucial for an animal’s body. You can think of it as a blood factory, as it’s where blood is produced. Without blood, oxygen wouldn’t be transported from the lungs to the rest of the body. Humans are animals too, so this process works the same way in our bodies.
Different animals have unique adaptations. For example, horses have large lungs to help them breathe while running, and some whales have hearts the size of cars. A snake’s organs are arranged along the inside of its body, with one small lung and one large lung that extends almost half its body length. Cows have a specialized stomach divided into four chambers to aid in digesting grass. Interestingly, pigs have organs that are quite similar to ours.
Animals also give birth in various ways. Some are born from eggs, like reptiles and birds, while others give birth to live young, meaning the baby develops inside the mother. Most mammals, including humans, are born this way. Amphibians lay eggs that develop into tadpoles, which later mature into adults, like frogs or salamanders.
Most of the animals we discuss usually stay right here in the museum. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Brain Scoop truck, but maybe you could design one for us! You can send your Brain Scoop truck pictures to [email protected]. A big thanks to Ms. Bianco’s 4th grade class for the questions, and this has been an episode of The Brain Scoop!
