Journal of Education & Social Policy

The Gift of the Rhinoceros Beetle: A Teachable Moment on Dying and Death for Young Children
Angel Herring, Julie Parker, Rebecca McKeehan Pegues

Abstract
The gift of the Rhinoceros Beetle offers early childhood educators recommendations for including experiential learning with the difficult issues of dying and death. This article focuses on a series of experiences an early childhood classroom had with the life cycle of a Rhinoceros Beetle and uses developmental theory to frame the process of learning for young children. The article offers recommendations for adult child interaction and classroom discussions that lay a foundation to support understanding and coping in young children.

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