Scientist You Should Know
Dr. Ingrith Deyrup-Olsen (1919-2004) was known as the “slug lady”!
She was even on the David Letterman show for her work on slug slime. It has lots of implications in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine (since mucus understandings are pivotal for Cystic Fibrosis work). Dr. Deyrup-Olsen also worked hard to improve science education.
https://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec04/extras_olsen.html
You can see her starting at minute 17:14 on the Friction episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy! (That’s where I got the screenshot above.)
Introducing the topic
These are the Dewey decimal categories I found related. It’s an exciting little category, and there are a lot of directions to take it. The Banana slug is neither a venomous animal nor a poisonous plant. It’s a poisonous animal, meaning you would have to eat it for it to impact you negatively.
As always, use as many or as few of these videos as your learning community desires. Sometimes a more analytical/technical learner (e.g., parent, teacher, tutor) might want to watch a video that they then explain or talk about to a more multisensory learner.
Experiencing the science
If you live alongside slugs, go around hunting for them. Make videos (like this one I made of a Florida Leatherleaf slug in Crystal River, FL a few years ago):
I only know what it is because I uploaded a photo into iNaturalist.
Okay, here’s their situation: In winter slugs are buried underground, but in the warmer months they’re in places where they can stay nice and wet. So if it’s raining you might find them out on the sidewalk like I did, but if it’s not, try underneath stuff. https://mybackyardlife.com/where-do-slugs-live/
Tips for getting rid of slugs can also be used to find them for exploration purposes. https://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/slugs/
Also, though, two words: “toad houses” What could be cuter? This article recommends toad houses to control slugs, but also things they can’t crawl across…this makes me think of an experiment… https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/kill-garden-slugs.htm
Respond
Mulitsensory
This is where I have promised myself to include movement. I like how Dr. Deyrup-Olsen pointed out in the Bill Nye video that if you had to squirm along the sidewalk without any sort of slime to cushion your way, you would injure your body. Think about what it would feel like to squirm across a gravel path. Maybe press your forearm gently on the sidewalk or try an “army crawl” on rough ground. Don’t actually hurt yourself! Now imagine doing it with slime on your knees. If you have slime around your house (or you’d like to make some), you can place it on the table and then lean on your forearm. Better, right?
Creative
If you can find slugs, try this activity: Let them crawl happily across a piece of paper and try using the slime as glue! Be kind to your slugs!
Verbal
I have found a few research papers and topics about slug slime that I think are super interesting. Check them out. Summarize, make a pamphlet defending slugs, or maybe prepare a sketch or a video featuring the studies as “Breaking News.” The first two of these articles are considered “primary sources.” The links below are news reports of the second article (J. Li et al., 2017).
https://nypost.com/2017/07/28/slug-slime-inspires-a-new-kind-of-surgical-glue/
Analytical
Let’s try replicating this experiment.
You can get the supplies you need from Carolina Biological Supply Company.