Essential Academic Learning Requirements:
Reading:
1. The student understands and uses different skills and
strategies to read.
1.2 build vocabulary through reading
Communication:
1. The student uses listening and observation skills to gain
understanding.
1.1 focus attention
1.2 listen and observe to gain and interpret information
1.3 check for understanding by asking questions and
paraphrasing
Science:
1. The
student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
1.1 use properties to identify, describe, and categorize
substances, materials, and objects and use characteristics to categorize
living things
1.2 recognize the components, structure, and organization of
systems and the interconnections within and among them
2. The student knows and applies the skills and processes of
science and technology.
2.2 apply science knowledge and skills to solve problems and
meet challenges
VOCABULARY:
 |
exoskeleton |
|
thorax |
|
abdomen |
|
antennae |
TEACHING
PROCEDURE:
1
There are two types of collections - live and preserved.
A. Examples of live
collections are hobbies such as “Ant Farms”,
“Walking sticks” or “Butterflies” (for rearing and release.)
Another example would be insect collections for business such as “Bee
Keeping” or “Pet Stores.” Pet
stores normally stock crickets, mealworms, and wax moth larva as food for
lizards, snakes, or fish.
B. Examples of preserved collections would be those for
insect identification assistance, colorful insects such as butterflies and
moths, weird looking insects, or those for scientific study.
2.
Capturing insects can best be done with a net, trapping in a glass
jar,or your hand. Using one’s
hand and fingers leaves a person open to bites, stings, irritating fluids or
barbed hairs from caterpillars. Also, It is not always possible to get close
enough to quickly grab an insect. A
zip lock plastic bag or jar can be used for temporary storage.
3.
Insects may be temporary stored in a deep freeze if there is not time to
pin them for display the same day as captured.
This prevents them from
drying and becoming brittle. Insects
that are to be stored in glass vials should be dried before being sealed.
This prevents mold which will destroy the specimen for viewing.
4. Are you
sure every thing you collected is an insect.
Insect requirements are possession of an exoskeleton, three body parts-
(head, thorax. and abdomen), three sets of legs, antennae, and usually wings.
5.Time
to start collecting insects while there is an abundant supply. look for insects
on/under leaves, in flowers, in dry grass, in the house, under boards and
debris. Also check the surface and
in ponds, marshes, and streams. Insects
are every where.
6. Insects
are more active in hot weather and maybe more difficult to catch.
If the weather is too cool, the insects will be dormant and difficult to
spot.
7. Insects
are normally identified by the use of a “key”. A key is a series of
“Either - Or” statements which will lead a person to the correct order,
family, genus, or specie of the insect depending the type of key being used.
Originally there were seven orders of insects.
Now some keys may list as many as forty orders as some people keep
subdividing the classifications. I
consider twenty six orders as about the right number with six orders containing
the most the common and numerous insects.
Now is a
good time to go through a step by step exercise of the key.
( See Insect Key Handout)
8. In
addition to the key, other evidence that will help with the identification are
(a) locale
(b) elevation - seaside or mountain
(c) type of location-wet, dry, cold, hot
(d) time of activity - day, night, lights
(e) season - spring, summer, fall, winter
(f) where found - on flowers, on leaves, decaying matter,
etc.
9. What is
the best method for you to store or display the collection For insects that have
a thin exoskeleton and a lot of moisture in the body, placement in a vial of
alcohol is probably the best method. For
most dry specimens, an insect pin is stuck thru the thorax and the insect pin
inserted in the Styrofoam in the bottom of an insect tray.
If the insect is too small
to use a pin, the insect is glued to the point of a triangular piece of thick
paper and the pin stuck thru that.
10. More
insect collections are destroyed by carpet beetles than any other way.
Carpet beetles eat protein and insects are usually ~95 % protein.
Use a tray or container that can be tightly seal to exclude any insects
that will feed on the collection. Also do not let a carpet beetle lay an egg on
a drying specimen before putting into the collection tray.
11.
Questions ????