Firebrats and Silverfish Are Rocking Some Old-School Looks
From Deep Look
5 min3rd4th5th6thScience
Summary
Silverfish and firebrats look almost exactly like insects did hundreds of millions of years ago. Deep Look shows how their flat, scale-covered bodies and quick wriggling let these ancient-looking bugs slip into the smallest cracks.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Firebrats and silverfish have flat, tapered, scaly bodies that slide into thin gaps and shed easily from a predator's grip. It is a very old body plan that still works well for hiding in tight spaces.
- What about a silverfish's body lets it squeeze into narrow cracks?
- How do slippery scales help it escape a grab?
- Why might an 'old-fashioned' body shape still work well today?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: scales, flattened, structure, adaptation.
Try it: Try to grab a bar of wet soap. Write how slippery scales help a silverfish slip away, just like the soap slips from you.