mealworms (aka darkling beetle)

Transcription

1 mealworms (aka darkling beetle) This activity is adapted from the FOSS Insects module. It provides students the opportunity to observe mealworms as they go through their life cycle. It will be important to teach students how to respect and care for these animals. For example, part of the lesson focuses on what animals need to live: water, food, air and space. This is also an opportunity to help students see the value in all animals. Therefore, avoid referring to them as gross, ugly, yucky, or dirty. This is also a good opportunity to emphasize the importance of making careful observations using their four senses. Observations should be accurate, complete, organized, observable (not inferred), scientific (no opinions), and relevant. Drawings should be done using the ABCD protocol: Accurate, Big, Colorful, Detailed. For more information on mealworms, go to the Plant and Animal Care section on FOSSweb: plantanimal/tenebriobeetles.html MATERIALS large mealworms NOT king mealworms (200 from pet store) wheat bran (microwaved for 1 minute to kill stray organisms) cups (1 per pair of students) vials with caps with small air holes (1 per student) removable labels (1 per student) baskets for holding vials (1 per table) potato, sweet potato, carrot, or apple (cut into small cubes for student containers and large cubes for class container; change them once a week) paper plates (1 per student) hand lenses (1 per student) clear basin or plastic tub for class culture of mealworms

2 SAMPLE LESSON PLANS unit plants and animals target(s) I can describe characteristics of mealworms during stages of its life cycle. I can describe the stages of the life cycle of mealworms. I can write an informative essay about the life cycle of mealworms. vocabulary living, water, air, food, space, insect, mealworm, darkling beetle, egg, larva, pupa, adult, characteristic, life cycle, stage, segment, head, thorax, abdomen, leg, antenna, dropping, inherit, molt, dead, bran investigating Give students time to observe mealworms by placing them on a paper plate. Review how to make scientific observations. Make sure they understand how to be respectful and safe. Guide students as they set up a vial for their two mealworms to observe through their life cycle. talking Provide opportunities for students to share observations and predictions with a partner in their table groups and during class discussions. Once students have written their essays, have them read their essays to a partner. reading Read Environment out of FOSS Science Resources: Insects and Plants (pp 8-14). Also, read What Makes an Insect an Insect? (pp 30-34), Insect Life Cycles (pp 37-43), and Life Goes Around (pp 44-56). writing Have students practice writing observations for larva, pupa and adult darkling beetles. Provide a word wall with important mealworm structures and other words to scaffold correct spelling. Use a graphic organizer to support students as they plan their essay. Have students write an essay that describes the life cycle of mealworms. checks for understanding Check observations to make sure their are empirical and descriptive; not opinions. Check drawings to make sure they are accurate, big, colorful and detailed. Assess their essay for content and writing. Google presentation for first two lessons: presentation/d/1jo430lxumvq8o_sse4z86mwau2dttxljcklqzhmuoh0/edit

3

4

5

6

7

8 mealworm science notebook Name

9 Name Date observing mealworm larva Observations Write what you notice about the mealworm using your senses. I saw I felt I smelled I heard I tasted Drawing Draw a picture of the mealworm. Make sure your drawing is: A: accurate B: big C: colorful D: detailed Label the parts (structures) of the mealworm.

10 Name Date caring for mealworms What do mealworms need to live and grow? How will we provide this need for the mealworms? What will happen to the mealworms over the next few weeks? What changes will we observe?

11 Name Date observing mealworm life cycle Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date

12 observing mealworm life cycle (continued) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date date

13 Name Date observing mealworm pupa Observations Write what you notice about the mealworm using your senses. I saw I felt I smelled I heard I tasted Drawing Draw a picture of the mealworm. Make sure your drawing is: A: accurate B: big C: colorful D: detailed Label the parts (structures) of the mealworm.

14 Name Date observing mealworm adult Observations Write what you notice about the mealworm using your senses. I saw I felt I smelled I heard I tasted Drawing Draw a picture of the mealworm. Make sure your drawing is: A: accurate B: big C: colorful D: detailed Label the parts (structures) of the mealworm.

15 Name Date darkling beetle life cycle stage structures behaviors larva pupa adult

16 Name Date mealworm life cycle graphic organizer T = C =

17 Name Date mealworm life cycle drawing

18 Name Date mealworm life cycle informative essay

19 mealworm (darkling beetle) mealworm (darkling beetle) larva mealworm (darkling beetle) adult mealworm (darkling beetle) egg pupa

20 living water air food

21 space insect mealworm darkling beetle

22 egg larva pupa adult

23 characteristic life cycle stage segment

24 head thorax leg antenna

25 abdomen dropping molt inherit

26 dead bran structure function