woodlouse

Everyday

1. A woodlouse is a small grey animal with a hard, jointed shell and fourteen legs that lives in damp, dark places like under stones, logs and leaves. tree →
2. Some kinds can roll up into a ball when in danger (pill bugs). tree →

In the lessons

In science woodlice appear in minibeast hunts, habitats and «choice chamber» experiments, which show that they prefer damp and dark places. They are decomposers: they eat dead leaves and wood and help recycle nutrients. They are crustaceans, related to crabs, not insects. Phrases: «minibeast», «pill bug», «roly-poly» (US), «slater» (Australia, NZ, Scotland).

Examples

• We found woodlice under the log. tree →
• A woodlouse rolled into a ball when I touched it. tree →
• Woodlice like damp, dark places. tree →
• In our experiment, most woodlice moved to the wet side. tree →
• Woodlice eat rotting leaves and wood. tree →
• A woodlouse has fourteen legs. tree →
• Put the woodlice back where you found them. tree →
• In Australia, a woodlouse is called a slater. tree →

Note

Irregular plural: «woodlice» (like «louse, lice»). It is not an insect (insects have 6 legs); it is a crustacean. Many regional names: pill bug, roly-poly, slater, sow bug.