Just when I think I've seen everything, I see that someone has come up with a new use for maggots. The attractive creatures are dipped in nontoxic (thank goodness) paint and placed on paper to do their own thing to create a colorful, artistic design. This is actually a combined science and art lesson for elementary kids. (I wonder how long it will take someone to stand up for the rights of the maggots. The article does say that they are washed off and eventually returned to nature. Thank goodness.)
Maggots morph into artistic instruments in Kim Schofield's elementary school classes. Ms. Schofield, an entomologist for the Texas Cooperative Extension in Dallas, brings live maggots to North Texas schools for a one-of-a-kind lesson that melds science and art.
The point, Ms. Schofield said, is to counter society's instinctive disgust toward maggots with a fun exercise that highlights their value.
It gets better because I also learned that maggots kill bacteria, decompose waste, and even help crime investigators. (Science was never my strong suit.) One student even mentions putting the maggot art on his refrigerator. For some reason, this reminds me of the time one of my husband's aunts talked about using earthworms for cooking. She might have been kidding, but her food was untouched at all of the potluck dinners that followed.
Check it out for yourself. By the way, in my opinion, this is definitely not refrigerator art!
