New Pioneers was eager to "Unearth a Story" at the Nelson County Public Library this June during their Summer Reading Program! During this delightful afternoon, about 15 elementary-aged students joined us alongside their guardians to explore the underground.

We started this program with a group conversation about animals that spend time underground, introducing the terms fossorial (spends part of their life underground), subterranean (spends their whole life underground), and burrowing. Then, we played a game of "Above or Below" to test students' knowledge of where Kentucky creatures live.

Next, we read Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner to explore the many insects that might be living below our feet and the many benefits they bring to our soil! Then, students were introduced to local burrowing bugs and given the opportunity to hunt for roly-polys, beetles, ants, and slugs.

We finished out the afternoon with a fun craft to represent burrows and the critters that may be living in them, and a group puzzle of these critters. Thank you to each participant and the NCPL for another awesome program!

To view more photos from this program, click here or on the collage above.