Summary
A housefly sees your swat coming and escapes in a fraction of a second. Deep Look reveals how its fast eyes and quick-reacting body let it sense danger and launch away before you finish the swing.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
A fly's eyes take in the world much faster than ours. It senses the swatter, its brain reacts, and its legs launch it away — all before you can react.
- Why is a fly so hard to swat?
- How does sensing danger quickly help the fly survive?
- What are the steps between the fly seeing a threat and flying away?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: senses, react, information, escape.
Try it: Have a partner try to (gently) tap your hand as you pull it away. Write how fast sensing and reacting helps you — and a fly — escape.