Triops, also called tadpole shrimp, are tiny aquatic animals that are easy to raise and fun to watch. Their rapid growth rate, underwater acrobatics, and entertaining feeding behaviors make these inexpensive and readily available animals well-suited for classroom observation. In this month’s column, students observe “mystery eggs” which quickly hatch and grow into triops larvae. Students learn to use a science notebook to keep track of their observations, wonderings, and learnings about the fascinating characteristics and life cycles of these most unusual creatures.