Insectigations On-site Activities

Insectigations - On-site Activities/Ranger Led

Grade Level: 2
Content Area: Science
Time to Complete: 1.5 hours
Title of Lesson: Insectigations

South Carolina State Standards Addressed:

2-1.1	Use tools (including thermometers, rain gauges, balances, and measuring cups) safely, accurately, and appropriately, when gathering specific data in customary (English) and metric units of measurement.
2-2.2	Classify animals (including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and insects) according to their physical characteristics.

Lesson Description:

Students collect insects and are facilitated by the educator, teachers and chaperones. Adults are supplied with easy-to-use insect identification guides. Students work in teams, taking turns with equipment. This activity continues for about one hour as the class collects in different habitats within the park. As a concluding activity, students sit in a circle and share their discoveries with one another.

Focus Questions for Students:

1.	What are two ways insects protect themselves from predators? (camouflage; bright colors warn of bad taste, this is warning coloration; some insects have the same bright colors as bad-tasting insects even though they do not taste bad, this is mimicry)
2.	What, in sequence, is the life cycle of a butterfly? (egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa or chrysalis, adult butterfly)
3.	What does it mean when an insect goes through metamorphosis? (it changes from one stage of its life cycle to the next)

Culminating Assessment:

1.	From your observations of the insects you discovered, name three things that make an insect an insect. (three body segments, six legs, exoskeleton, antennae)
2.	Think about the insects you collected during your program. What (life cycle) stages were your insects in when you found them? (Egg? Larva? Nymph? Pupa? Caterpillar? Chrysalis? Adult?)
3.	Were there any animals you collected or observed that were not insects, like millipedes, spiders or potato bugs? How did you know they were not insects
4.	What were your favorite discoveries?
5.	What were the insects you found doing? (Some observations may include ants following scent trails; butterflies and bees collecting nectar and pollinating flowers; some insects like assassin bugs may have been camouflaged waiting for an insect meal, etc.)
6.	What does metamorphosis mean? (when insects change from one life cycle stage to the next) Give an example? (egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa or chrysalis, adult butterfly)

Material/Equipment/Resources:

insect nets	collecting jars
magnifiers	easy-to-use insect identification guides

Teacher Preparation:

1.	Call for reservations.
2.	Complete pre-site activities.

Procedures:

Introduction to Topic
What Makes an Insect an Insect!
Students are asked to name or describe different insects they have seen. Educator asks "What makes all these animals you've just told me about insects? How can you tell that they are insects? Educator uses insect puppets to point out and discuss the various characteristics that make insects unique.

Insect Safari

Educator and students brainstorm a list of places to find insects. (under decaying logs; near or on flowers and brushy vegetation; around moist and sunny areas; etc.)

Educator discusses safety. (“Always collect within sight of the educator, your teacher or a chaperone. Observe but do not collect stinging insects or bother ant colonies and spider webs.”)

Educator discusses the dos and don’ts of collecting.

Do...	Don't...
catch insects.	catch your friend's head.
"sweep" grassy areas for insects.	drag net on ground or in water.
release insects where found.	take insects from their homes!
handle insects with care.	hurt any animal you find in the park!
share your discoveries with the class.	forget to have fun!

The remainder of the program will be spent collecting and studying insects.