Spotlight: The Insect Investigator - Twig Science Reporter

Episode

02/27/2025

This Black History Month, we spotlight insect expert Charles Henry Turner.

Transcript

To mark Black History Month, we’re celebrating groundbreaking scientist Charles Henry Turner, whose research transformed our understanding of insect intelligence.

Charles was a zoologist—a person who studies animals.

He was particularly interested in insects, believing them to be much smarter than other scientists at the time realized. He studied bees and proved that they could remember landmarks and use them to find their way around.

He also demonstrated that ants could learn complex routes, and use problem-solving and decision-making to avoid obstacles.Today, Charles is remembered as a pioneer in the field of zoology who helped reveal the secret lives, behaviors, and intelligence of the insect world.

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Spotlight: The Insect Investigator

Teaching overview

Learning points

Charles Henry Turner was a zoologist who specialized in insect behavior.
Turner believed insects were smarter than other scientists at the time assumed.
His work showed that bees could use their memory to navigate, and ants could use problem-solving to avoid obstacles.

Curriculum keywords

Black History Month
zoology
bees

Spark a discussion

What is Black History Month?
Who was Charles Henry Turner?
What were some of his discoveries?

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