Scorpions have been found in many fossil records, including coal deposits from the Carboniferous Period and in marine Silurian deposits. They are thought to have existed in some form since about 425-450 million years ago.

They are believed to have an oceanic origin, with gills and a claw like appendage that enabled them to hold onto rocky shores or seaweed. As part of our desert theme, we spent two days on the scorpion. Although there are many different species, our favorite was the Arizona Bark Scorpion.

To further our understanding of this creature, we went on a “dive” for them in our desert sensory bins. Students, once again, used large tweezers to retrieve these from the sand. To instill an academic component into this activity, our older students sorted their scorpions from largest to smallest.