I've got that Geometry Bug!

“A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MY GEOMETRY BUG”

Hello!  I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Tri-Gon.  I was given this name for two reasons; as you can see, I have three body parts, the thorax, abdomen and a head.  I am also have many polygons.  I’m made up of many geometrical shapes including, an octagon, a heptagon, a quadrilateral, multiple triangles, circles and many right angles.  Each of the shapes that make up my body has a special purpose or function.  The octagon makes up my thorax, or middle segment.  Within it includes two pairs of legs and two pairs of wings.  My legs are many different colors, which are a source of camouflage that shows other animals that I am poisonous.  Each of my legs forms a right angle that enables me to walk on many different surfaces.  My wings are shaped as triangles, and they allow me to escape much quicker when I am threatened by other insects.  They also help me to fly to places faster and more efficient.  The heptagon forms my abdomen, or third segment.  This segment holds my other three pairs of legs and backset of eyes.  The last three pairs of legs are exactly like those of the thorax except for the fact that they are a source of protection for me.  Inside each of my tarsus there is a pouch of venom that can stun any organism that tries to perpetrate me.  Each set of eyes on my abdomen helps me to see things from a different perspective, and with them, I can see things from behind me.  This helps my overall vision.    The quadrilateral makes up my head.  My head contains my front set of eyes, my teeth (mandible) and my antennas.  The eyes on my head are circular.  They help me to see what’s in front of me, and also to the sides.  Each of my teeth (mandibles) is very sharp in a triangular form, and they give me the ability to chew up my food faster.  Having these help me to cut through many different things such as, other insects, plants, etc.  My antennas give me my sense of feel.  With my eyes being slanted on my head, my antennas help me feel where I am in a certain place.  Now that I’ve described to you my shapes and functions, I’ll tell you about a day in my life.

            Bzzzz!  This is the sound of my alarm clock, as I wake up to a new, beautiful day in the town of Chica-gon.  My town is very unusual, but at the same time very interesting.  It’s made up of thousands of geometric shapes in the forms of buildings, restaurants, schools, houses, and many other structures.  

            When I slide out of bed, I crawl to the bathroom to take a bath and fulfill my morning needs.  After getting ready for school I crawl to the front door, spread my wings, and fly to meet my friends.  We are off to school.  On the way to school, my friends and I just happen to run into some bullies who have been bugging us for the past couple of days.  They have been trying to get our lunch money.  The previous days we have gotten away by flying, but today is different because they are ready for us.  When we try to get away, our triangular wings won’t move as fast as the bullies’ oval shaped wings.  They catch up to us, and right as they are going to stab us with their pinchers we jab our sharp mandibles into the bullies’ thorax.  With the jab it weakens them greatly, freeing us, and quickly we fly off to school.  

            Lunch quickly came, and the best meal of the week is being served, insect thoraxes and green leaves.  My friends and I cautiously look around the cafeteria, but the bullies are nowhere in sight.  The rest of the school day runs smoothly and finally the last bell rings.  I dash out of school and fly quickly towards home, praying that the bullies won’t catch me.  The faster I fly, the heavier my wings feel, and the more tired I become, due to my triangular wings.  Finally, I reach my doorstep, and as I am about to open the door, SWOOSH, the bullies fly down and surround me!  “Give me your money!” the biggest bully says to me.  I think to myself, “enough is enough”.  So, I stand up tall on my ten right-angled legs, and spread my triangular wings, and say, “I don’t have to take this anymore!”  “If you guys want to beat me up, go ahead, but I’m not giving you any of my money.”  The bullies all look at each other and shrug their wings.  The head bully smiles and says, “O.K.”  “You are strong enough to stand up to us so we’ll leave you alone.”  They all fly off and I crawl into the house with a sigh of relief.  My mom greets me and says, “How was your day, honey?”  I answer, “It was fine, nothing big happened.”

Works Cited

Math Forum: Ask Dr. Math: FAQ.  Online. World Wide Web. http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/faq/faq.polygon.names.html

 6, October 1999.

“Artists of the Renaissance.”  Encarta Encyclopedia.  1996 ed.l  

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