"Bugs"
Lesson Plans created by -Faith Weeks - for EVE 546 Spring 2009
Overview: Insects
are one of the most important groups of creatures on this planet, due
to their
essential roles in their environments, including pollinators,
decomposers, and
nutrient recyclers. Regardless,
there are many misconceptions about insects, including their
importance,
habitats, and even what constitutes an insect.
For an animal to be classified as an insect, it must have a body that
is
divided into three parts – the head, thorax, and abdomen, has
three pairs of
legs and usually two pairs of wings. Continued learning through
the creation of an insect collection is an essential part of learning
about insects, as the
practice allows students not only the chance to see insects up close,
but also
allows them to use what they have learned about insect’s habitats
and anatomy. Students must recall what they had learned
about where to find certain insects in the field to create a
substantial and
representative collection of the Cove River Site.
Objectives: Students will...
-
Recognize that some “bugs” are not insects.
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Identify the basic classification of insects, including their common names.
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Recognize and identify common insects found at Cove River Site.
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Recognize the three basic body parts of insects.
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Relate the larval form of some common insects to their adult forms.
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Identify the body forms, habitats, and food webs of the insects found at the Cove River Site.
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Identify the best ways to collect insects in the field.
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Identify how to preserve different types of insects for use in a collection or the classroom.
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Identify four basic mechanisms for breathing under water.
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Explore how those breathing techniques alter how the insect survives.
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Create their own aquatic insect based on the student’s findings.
Key Concepts: Identification,
Classification, Anatomy,
Lifecycles, Food Webs, Habitats, Collecting Specimens, and Respiration
Subjects: Ecology,
Biology, Anatomy, Chemistry,
Physical Education and Art
Duration: 1 week with
visits to site
Setting: Any classroom
Season: Any Season;
preferably Fall or Spring
Interdisciplinary Connections
Frameworks: See Standards
Matrix
Individual
Lesson Titles:
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Click
here for a PDF version of this unit plan -
Click
here for a PDF version of the Standards Matrix -
Additional Resources:
Lesson One: additional resources - buggo example body parts ID card -
Lesson One: Matching Insect Descriptions -
Lesson One: Matching Game -
Immature Insect Cards -
Lesson Four : Sample Insect photographs -
Matrix of Lesson Standards
Other EE lessons that would engage learners in a variety of inquiry activities including the following:
- Cove River Historical Site - Creating a Historical Timeline
- Navigating the Landscape - Geocaching
- People and Cultures - Natie American Site Introduction - Approaching the land with reverence - smudging.
- Soils
- Native Flora - plants of the region and habitats of coastal CT
- Native Fauna - animals of the region - birds
- Invasite and non-Native sepcies - invasive plants
- All about Insects
- Native and Colonial Agriculture
- Water and its uses - water quality
Environmental Science Education @ Cove River
Other Environmental Science activities conducted at the Cove River Site include SCSU Graduate and Undergraduate as well as local West Haven High School Environmental Science students using the GLOBE Program field observation strategies to gather information and data. These field investigations follow an Earth Systems Science approach. For each of 4 earth "spheres" - Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Atmosphere - field data are collected for analysis and sharing with the broader GLOBE Program community, which includes students from over 110 different countries.
SCSU Science Educaton & Environmental Studies - Cove River Historical Site GLOBE Investigations... coming soon!
- Geoshere investigations
- Hydrosphere investigations
- Biosphere investigations
- Atmosphere investigations
- other investigations
Mr. Kevin Dickson's Environmental Science and Ecology Classes - West Haven High School... coming soon!
Student Investigations: Zizi Yu's Hydrology Investigations..... coming soon!
Archaeology Education @ Cove River
The
Archaeological education activities occuring at the Cove River Site
have been directed by local experts in partnership with researchers
from the Yale Peabody Museum. A separate section ofthis website is
devoted to educational material, lessons and activities connected to
the history of human habitation and the story of native american life
ways at the site.
- Cove River Site Archaeology
- Local Native American life ways in coastal Connecticut
No Child Left Inside!
A generation of children are growing up with little opportunities taken to explore nature. What ever happened to un-structured play in our own backyards and neighborhood parks and open spaces. Where's my tree fort?
More than any other generation, today's kids spend a great deal of time indoors. No Child Left Inside℠ is a promise, and a pledge... to help Connecticut's children live active, healthier lives while they enjoy the natural treasures of our state parks and forests - and discover the rewards of becoming environmentally conscious citizens.
- Connecticut State Department of Environmental Quality - No Child Left Inside website!
Nature Deficit Disorder!
The term “nature-deficit disorder” was coined by author Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods” to describe what happens to young people who become disconnected from their natural world. Louv links this lack of nature to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
Green outdoor settings appear to reduce ADHD symptoms in children across a wide range of individual, residential, and case characteristics. - Kuo and Taylor, NIH article
- A National Coalition for Environmental Education - No Child Left Inside website!
