Earth & Life Science Series: Creepy Crawlies by Teacher Superstore

The Earth & Life Science Series or e t

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Creepy Crawlies

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Science activities for . te 6 to 9 year olds o c . che e r o r st super

Written by Kellie Lloyd. © Ready-Ed Publications - 2005. Published by Ready-Ed Publications (2005) P.O. Box 276 Greenwood Perth W.A. 6024 Email: info@readyed.com.au Website: www.readyed.com.au COPYRIGHT NOTICE Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes. However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ISBN 1 86397 349 4

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. te Acknowledgements:

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o c . chwere e Photo images used herein obtained from IMSI’s Masterclips/MasterPhotos r er o collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd, East San Rafael, CA 94901-5506 USA. t s super The activities in this book refer to material from the document Science - a curriculum profile for Australian Schools (1994). This document is published by: Curriculum Corporation, St. Nicholas Place, 141 Rathdowne St, Carlton VIC, 3053 www.curriculum.edu.au/catalog/primary.htm

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Contents Teacher Information ................................................... 4/5

“Using Informa tion” Activity P ages Information” Pages

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Lesson Notes: Pages 7 - 10 ............................................ 6 Using Information: Bug Study ..................................... 7/8 Using Information: Spider or Insect? ........................... 9/10 Lesson Notes: Pages 12 - 15 .......................................... 11 Using Information: Beautiful Beetles ........................... 12/13 Using Information: Ladybird, Ladybird ......................... 14/15 Lesson Notes: Pages 17 - 22 ......................................... 16 Using Information: Busy Bees ................................... 17/18 Using Information: The Ants Go Marching ................... 19/20 Using Information: Hoppy to Know You ..................... 21/22 Lesson Notes: Pages 24 - 29 ...................................... 23 Using Information: The Good, the Bad, and the Creepy 24/25 Using Information: Yummy Bugs .............................. 26-28 Using Information: Interesting Insects ...................... 29/30

General Activity P ages Pages

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Lesson Notes: Pages 32 - 34 ....................................... 31 General: Which One is an Insect? ................................. 32 General: The Same on Both Sides ................................. 33 General: Bug Collection ............................................... 34 Lesson Notes: Pages 36 - 37 ....................................... 35 General: Bug Search ................................................... 36 General: Cross-Bug Puzzle ........................................... 37 Lesson Notes: Pages 39 - 40 ...................................... 38 General: Stop Bugging Me! .......................................... 39 General: My Favourite Insect ....................................... 40 Lesson Notes: Pages 42 - 43 ....................................... 41 General: New Insect Discovered!................................... 42 General: Bug Power! ................................................... 43

o c . che e r o Answers t r s s r u e p Answers ................................................................... 44

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Teacher Information The Earth and Life Sciences Series is designed to provide teachers of children in the 6 - 9 age range with a set of materials that will give students a more rounded and scientific understanding of their world and their place in it. Student activities are directed towards meeting the requirements related to Science education as set down in the document Science - A Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools (Curriculum Corporation, 1994). This book, Creepy Crawlies Crawlies, relates in particular to the conceptual strand of Life and Living Living, at Levels 1 and 2 as indicated in the Profile document. In addition the activities in the book enable children to utilize some cognitive processes which are incorporated in the Working Scientifically strand of the curriculum. These are:

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identifying, distinguishing, becoming aware of, observing;

describing patterns, connecting, linking, classifying, sorting, organizing.

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describing, naming features, recording, describing change, describing how, listing;

Specific Out comes Rela ted to The W orking Scientific all y Strand Outcomes Related Working Scientificall ally Level 1 and Level 2 children working on activities in this book could be expected to realize these outcomes related to this strand:

Focus on problems in response to teacher generated questions or suggestions;

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Share observations; Identify some of the variables in a problem situation;

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Carry out sequential activities, and observe and describe their actions;

. te o c Specific Out comes Rela ted to The Life and Living Strand Outcomes Related . che e r o t r s super Make simple non-standard measurements and records of data.

Level 1 and Level 2 children working on activities in this book could be expected to realize these outcomes: Students understand that needs, features and functions of living things are related and change over time. This outcome will be demonstrated by the understanding ... * that some ‘creepy crawlies’ have different coverings; * that different ‘creepy crawlies’ have different needs; * that ‘creepy crawlies’ change over time through metamorphosis. Page 4

Structure of this Book Books in this series are divided into two sections - the section which includes the “Using Information” activity pages and that containing “General Activity” pages. Both sections include Teachers’ Notes which focus on aspects of subsequent activity pages such as:

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learning outcomes of the relevant pages;

materials required to complete the activity page;

“Using Informa tion” Section Information”

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teaching suggestions for each page in the section.

All student activity pages in this section are preceded by an “Information Page” - a set of notes that provides background knowledge to the activities presented on the worksheet. It is intended that these sheets are also photocopied for students and used by them as they attempt the activity page. It is envisaged that this approach will allow teachers to relate the class Science program to the Language program, through using these Information Pages as opportunities for Reading and Viewing activities. They are ideal for these purposes in that they require students to retell meanings and make simple interpretations for the purposes of completing the accompanying worksheets.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons The text in• these pages may be ati ae slightly more difficult level than that presented on • the f o r r e v w p u r p o s e s o n l y worksheets and further assistance is given by defining some key words or phrases. These are

underlined and link to the Explanations section at the base of the page, which contains further definitive statements and explanations about the text.

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General Activities Section

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It should be noted that not all the information that is required to complete worksheets is contained in these notes. In fact, children will benefit greatly from introductory discussions and idea sharing sessions about the worksheet in conjunction with the use of the Information Page.

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The activity pages in this section (headed ACTIVITY PAGE) utilize traditional print related reference materials for children to complete the set tasks on the sheets. It would be useful for a collection of appropriate books and materials to be assembled before commencing the unit so these can be accessed and used with as little disruption as possible. It is imperative, too, that these sheets are discussed thoroughly before children are set to work.

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Lesson Notes Pages 7 - 10 Content Area(s): language science technology

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Learning Out comes: Outcomes:

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Ma terials Required: Materials Information Pages pencil or pen

Time:

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In this section students will: use Information Pages to find and record required information. identify insect body parts and sense organs. label the stages of bee metamorphosis. distinguish between insect and arachnid characteristics.

Teaching T ips: Al ways go over the directions first. Tips: Alw spiders.

pages 7/8: Bug Study

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Pages 9/10: Spider or Insect?

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You may want to do this page as a whole group to show students how to use the Information Pages and to cover the basics of insects. Emphasize that students need to focus on the underlined words and definitions in addition to reading the text.

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Inform children that some of the clues may be a little tricky so they will have to think before they answer. Preview the vocabulary of the body parts so students have a reference for pronunciation.

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Information Page: Bug Study An entomologist is a person who studies insects. Head Thorax Abdomen Sometimes insects are called “bugs”. There are a lot of insects in the world. As a matter of fact, there are over a million different kinds of insects and many more insects in the world than ALL other animals put together! All insects have 6 legs and 3 body parts. The body Legs parts are: the head (with 2 feelers called antennae), a thorax (the middle part), and an abdomen (belly). Most insects also have at least one pair of wings. Instead of a skeleton on the inside, insects have an exoskeleton, which is like a skeleton on the outside.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Insects Are S Not a t All Like P eople at People

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If you want to taste something, you put your tongue on it. But if a fly wants to taste something, it walks on it. Flies taste with their feet. When you want to smell something, you put your nose near it, but a fly has no nose. Insects smell things with their two antennae. Insects don’t see the way we do either. An insect’s eye is made up of many tiny eye parts called lenses. Each tiny eye, or lens, sees a part of what the insect is looking at. Dragonflies have as many as 30,000 lenses in each eye but you only have one!

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EGG - kind of like a chicken egg, but much, much smaller.

LARVAE - looks like a small worm that hatches from the egg

PUPAE - doesn’t move around much but is beginning to look like an adult

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© R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s All insects grow from eggs and change as they grow older. The changes in stages is called metamorphosis. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Butterflies, bees, ants, beetles, and flies grow in stages:

You’ve Grown So Much!

ADULT - the beautiful insects that we know and love!

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Dragonflies, termites, grasshoppers, and true bugs grow in three stages: EGG - as above; NYMPH - looks like the adult insect when it hatches from the egg except it is very small and has no wings yet; ADULT - as above.

Explana tions Explanations exoskeleton: An “outside skeleton” - a bony outer part to protect an animal. (The shell of a turtle or crab is an exoskeleton.) metamorphosis: A change from one thing to another. (A caterpillar goes through metamorphosis to become a butterfly.) © Ready-Ed Publications

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Bug Study Use the Information P age on Bug Study to help you complete this page. Page Answer the questions below. 1. What is a person who studies insects called? ....................................................... 2. A skeleton on the outside, instead of the inside, is called an ................................

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3. All insects have .............. legs and ............. body parts.

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4. Look at the picture. Write the name of each insect body part.

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A fly tastes with...

A fly smells with...

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o c . che e r o t r s s r ufour pe Label each picture below to show the stages of metamorphosis. A fly sees with...

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Information Page: Spider or Insect?

Spiders, mites, and scorpions are not insects. Sometimes people think of them as insects, but they belong to a group called arachnids.

How Can Y ou T ell Them Ap ar t? You Tell Apar art?

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You can tell the difference between spiders and insects in many ways. Here is what to look at: LEGS Insects: 6 Spiders: 8 EYES Insects: Most have 2 big, compound eyes. Spiders: Usually 8 simple eyes. FOOD Insects: Many different kinds (some even eat plastic, paper, or clothes). Spiders: Mostly insects (some even eat small frogs or mice!). ANTENNAE (an-TEH-nee) Insects: Yes - that’s how they smell. Spiders: No - they sense through bristles Eyes on their legs. WINGS Insects: usually Spiders: never Cephalothorax BODY P ARTS PARTS Insects: 3 - head, thorax, abdomen Spiders: 2 - cephalothorax, abdomen Spinnerets

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o c . che e arachnid: This is the name for a group of small, insect-like, land animals. The bestr o t known arachnids are spiders, ticks, mites, scorpions, and daddy longlegs. r s s r u e p compound eyes: A type of eye that has many tiny lenses close together. Two large groups of animals have compound eyes - insects and crustaceans (animals like crabs and lobsters). thorax: The part of the body between the head and the belly. abdomen: Belly cephalothorax: The head and back are one part in some animals like spiders and crabs.

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Spider or Insect? Use the Information P age on Spider or Insect? to help you complete this page. Page Read the Information Page to to find answers to these: 1. Name four arachnids.

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How are spiders and insects different? For each clue below, write I if it is about insects, S if it is about spiders, and B if it is about both insects and spiders.

3............ Usually have one or two pairs of wings. 4............ Mostly eat insects. 5............ Usually have eight simple eyes. 6............ Smell with antennas.

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2............ Have eight legs.

9............ Have two body parts.

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cephalothorax abdomen legs

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Now that you know more about insects and spiders, draw a picture of a spider in the first box and draw a line to show the parts listed. In the other box, draw an insect and draw a line to show the parts listed.

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abdomen thorax

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Lesson Notes Pages 12 - 15 Content Area(s): language science technology

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Learning Out comes: Outcomes:

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Ma terials Required: Materials Information Pages pencil or pen

Time:

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In this section students will: use the Information Pages to find and record required information. investigate and describe beetles. colour different kinds of ladybirds.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Teaching T ips: Al ways go over the directions first. Tips: Alw •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• These Information Pages focus on beetles. You may choose to go into greater depth in Approximately 30 minutes per lesson.

looking at this large insect group.

Pages 12/13: Bea utiful Beetles Beautiful

Pages 14/15: Ladybird, Ladybird

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Make sure that students understand what to do for the second part of the activity page. Provide an example on the board prior to allowing students to commence the page. This can also be a fun way to practice spelling words, or write a story on a picture. Ladybirds are the beetles that students will probably be most familiar and comfortable with. You may choose to bring some ladybirds into the class so that students can observe the wing covers and other features of beetles. Students should look at the bold print on the activity page for clues about where to find the required information on the Information Page.

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Information Page: Beautiful Beetles

There are many kinds of beetles. They live everywhere on earth except in the oceans. Beetles are found in rain forests and in deserts. They live in freezing cold areas and in hot springs. They live in mountain lakes and even in polluted sewers. Beetles come in many shapes, colours, and sizes. Some, such as click beetles, are long and slender. Others, like ladybirds, are round. Most beetles are brown, black, or dark red, but some have bright, shiny, rainbow colours.

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Armoured T anks Tanks

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Like all insects, beetles have three insect body parts, antennae, three pairs of legs, and a tough exoskeleton (outside skeleton). But, adult beetles also have a pair of special wings. These wings are very hard. Because of the exoskeleton and hard wing covers, beetles are called the “armoured tanks” of the insect world.

Beetle Enemies

Birds, reptiles, and other insects eat beetles. Most beetles protect themselves by hiding or by flying away. A few beetles make a bad smell to scare off attackers. Some beetles can bite. Many beetles are pests because they eat people’s food. But some beetles are helpful to people. Ladybirds save people’s food crops by eating the insect pests. Other beetles eat dead plants and animals so that they are not just lying around all over the place.

Kinds of Beetles:

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There are about 300,000 kinds of beetles in the world. Here is a list of some of them: Weevils Leaf Beetles Ground Beetles Rove Beetles Scarabs Click Beetles Diving Beetles wing Ladybirds elytra

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Beetle sizes: The smallest beetles, feather-winged beetles, measure less than the thickness of one of your finger nails. One of the largest beetles is the Goliath beetle of Africa. It can grow to be about as long as a soft drink can. The special wings of beetles are hard wing covers called elytra elytra. Page 12

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Using Information

Beautiful Beetles Use the Information P age on Beautiful Beetles to help you complete this page. Page Read the Information Page to help you to do these activities. 1. Beetles live everywhere on earth except in the ......................................................

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.................................................................................................................................... 2. Why are beetles called the “armoured tanks” of the insect world? .......................

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3. What are the special front wings of a beetle called? ............................................. Find at least eight words to describe beetles. Write the words around the beetle picture below.

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Information Page: LLadybir adybir d, LLadybir adybir d adybird, adybird The real name for a ladybird is a ladybird beetle. There are more than 4,000 kinds of ladybirds in the world. About 300 kinds live in Australia and New Zealand.

Pret ty Col ours retty Colours Ladybirds come in many colours. Some are red, orange, or yellow with black spots. Others are black with red or yellow spots. If you have watched a ladybird get ready to fly, then you have seen it lift the coloured wing covers out of the way and use the inner wings to fly. Most kinds of beetles have wing covers.

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Ladybirds to the Rescue

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Birds and other predators usually do not eat ladybirds. They taste bad, have a hard shell, and their colour scares predators away.

There are a couple of harmful types of ladybirds, but most are very helpful. They eat aphids and other insects that destroy plants that people eat. Many years ago, aphids were eating a fruit crop in California. The fruit was saved by bringing thousands of ladybirds to eat the aphids.

How the Ladybird Got Its Name

Many people think that ladybirds bring good luck. In the past, people believed that they were very special insects with magical powers. Ladybirds were named after Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was sometimes called “Our Lady.”

Ladybird Life

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Ladybirds go through metamorphosis as they grow from egg to larva to pupa and then to adult. Ladybirds can lay from 10 to 100 eggs at one time. They lay the eggs on leaves with plenty of aphids for their grubs (baby ladybirds) to eat. A ladybird larva hatches from the egg. After three or four weeks, the larva becomes a pupa. When a new ladybird comes out of the pupa, it is wet. As soon as it dries, spots appear and it can fly. Some ladybirds never get any spots.

o c . c e her r Explana tions Explanations o t s s r u wing covers: The special front wings of beetles are hard wing covers called elytra. pe

predators: Animals that hunt and kill other animals for food. crop: The plants that farmers grow in a year for food. metamorphosis: A change from one thing to another. (A caterpillar goes through metamorphosis to become a butterfly.) larva: An immature form of an insect before it becomes an adult. pupa: An insect at the stage between larva and adult when they do not move or eat and many changes are taking place (like a caterpillar in a cocoon).

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Ladybird, L adybird Ladybird Use the Information P age on LLadybird, adybird, LLadybird adybird to help you complete this page. Page 1. What is the real name for the ladybird? ................................................................. 2. How many different kinds of ladybirds live in Australia and NZ?...........................

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Read about the Pretty Colours of ladybirds. Colour four different ladybirds.

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I’m Not Eating That! 3. Name one reason why predators do not like to eat ladybirds.

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o c . .................................................................................................................................... che e r o t r s super Ladybirds to the Rescue 4. What is the name of the insect that ladybirds like to eat? .....................................

How the Ladybird Got Its Name 5. Who is the ladybird named after? .......................................................................... Ladybird Life 6. What is a baby ladybird called? ............................................................................. © Ready-Ed Publications

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Lesson Notes Pages 17 - 22 Content Area(s): language science

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Learning Out comes: Outcomes:

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Ma terials Required: Materials Information Pages pencil or pen

Time:

Approximately 30 minutes per lesson.

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In this section students will: use the Information Pages to find and record required information. research and record the life of a worker bee. make decisions and form an opinion based on given information. identify differences between short and long-horned grasshoppers.

Teaching T ips: Al ways go over the directions first. Tips: Alw

Pages 19/20: The Ants Go Marching

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There is a lot more to the lives of bees than is provided here. You may want to make an extension to the social aspect of some insects’ lives and compare/contrast them to human societies. This is another social insect. Try starting an ant farm for the class to observe and enjoy. You might also choose to do an activity on weight to help students better understand the strength of ants.

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Pages 21/22: Hoppy to Know Y ou You

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You may choose to do an activity where student pairs use different measurement units to see how long 30 metres is.

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Using Information

Information Page: Busy Bees

Honeybees are found in almost every part of the world. They make honey and help pollinate flowers and plants.

Hive Sweet Hive Honeybees live in a hive. Inside the hive, there are many tiny cells, or spaces. The cells are built by worker bees from wax which comes from their bodies. The six-sided cells are used to store honey, pollen, eggs, and larvae.

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Who’s in the Hive?

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The queen bee is the most important bee in the hive. She does nothing but lay eggs. She will live between one and seven years and lay up to 1,500 eggs a day during that time. Most other bees in the hive are worker bees. All worker bees are female. Worker bees will only live for 42 - 56 days. They have different jobs during their lives. The jobs are: Days 1-3: Clean the hive. Days 4-9: Feed the larvae. Days 10-15: Build new hive cells. Days 16-20: Make honey. Days 21+: Guard the hive and collect nectar and pollen.

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nectar from the flower. As the bee pushes into the flower some yellow powder, called pollen, sticks to the hairs on the bee’s legs. When the bee goes to another flower, the pollen rubs off. This is called pollination. The worker bee visits 500 - 1,000 flowers before her honey sac is full. When the bee is full of nectar and pollen, she flies back to the hive. Other worker bees take the nectar from her belly and the pollen from her legs. In a few days, the nectar and pollen will be honey.

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Many people like to watch bees and learn about them. These people might keep bees in a glass-walled hive, where they can watch workers “talk” by dancing, and see the queen laying eggs while workers store honey and care for the young.

Explana tions Explanations

pollinate: To carry pollen from flower to flower so that seeds for new plants and flowers can be formed. nectar: Sweet juice in a flower. pollen: A yellow powder that plants need to make new plants and flowers. Bees use it to make honey. hive: Honey bees live in hives. The hive is a storage space, such as a hollow tree or a box, that has a honeycomb. The honeycomb is a bunch of six-sided cells. Worker bees build the honeycomb of wax produced by their bodies. © Ready-Ed Publications

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Busy Bees Use the Information P age on Busy Bees to help you complete this page. Page Read about Busy Bees to learn more about these amazing insects. 1. Bees are valued for making ........................... and for helping ............................. flowers and plants.

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Hive Sweet Hive 2. What are four things kept in the six-sided cells in a hive? ..............................

.............................. ..............................

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Who’s in the Hive? 3. Which bee is the most important bee in the hive? ................................................. 4. In the chart below, describe what worker bees do in their lives.

Days 1-3: .........................................................................

Days 4-9: ......................................................................... © Rea dyEdPubl i cat i ons Days 10-15: ..................................................................... •f orr eDays vi e w pur posesonl y• 16-20: ..................................................................... Days 21+: .......................................................................

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Honey Makers 5. What is the yellow powder in flowers called? .........................................................

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o c . Pretend that you have ac glass-walled bee hive. Draw what youe might see h r happening inside the hive. e o r st super

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Name: ............................

Using Information

Information Page: The Ants Go Mar ching Marching

A group of insects that live together is called a colony. Each ant in a colony has a job.

Ant Job s Jobs The queen ant’s job is to lay eggs. Most ants in an ant colony are workers. All the workers are female. The workers build the nest, search for food, take care of the baby ants, and fight enemies. Male ants live in the nest for a short time. The only job the male ants have is to mate with the queen. After that, they die.

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All Sor ts of Ants Sorts

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Like most small insects, ants can lift things that are much heavier than their bodies. If you had the strength of an ant, you could lift a car and carry it over your head! There are many kinds of ants, but they can be grouped by the way they get food. There are six main groups: (1) army ants, (2) slave makers, (3) harvester ants, (4) dairying ants, (5) honey ants, and (6) fungus growers. Army Ants An army is moving in the forest. Every living thing in its path is in danger. The soldiers of this army will kill any thing that can’t get away. Army ants eat any insects, spiders, and even animals that they can catch. They do not build nests. When they rest, they stay together in a large group in a tree branch, inside a log, or in a safe place. Slave Makers Slave maker ants attack the nests of other ants to take the nest and make the ants get food and work for them.

Harvester Ants

Dairying Ants

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These ants collect seeds and store them in their nests. They always have food to eat. The ants chew the seeds into what is called ant bread. Dairying ants eat a sugary liquid called honeydew. They get honeydew from insects, like aphids and other plant lice. Plant lice suck the sugary juices from plants. Honey Ants

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These ants get honeydew from insects or from plants. One ant eats the honeydew until it is so big that it can’t move. Then, that ant is hung up. Any time other ants need food, they tap the fat ant who throws up a little honeydew for them to eat! Fungus Growers

These ants grow gardens in their nests. The queen starts the garden with a bit of fungus (kind of mould). The fungus grows on the old leaves and the ants eat the fungus.

Explana tions Explanations colony: Many ants live in underground nests. They have rooms for the queen, the babies, the workers, and for food storage. mate: To help the queen make eggs that will become new ants. © Ready-Ed Publications

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Name: ............................

Using Information

The Ants Go Marching Use the Information P age on The Ants Go Marching to help you complete this page. Page Use the Information Page to find out more about ants. 1. A group of insects that live together is called a

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2. Name three things that rooms in an ant nest are used for.

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Ant Jobs 3. Would you rather be a male ant or a female ant? Why? .............................................................................................................

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons ............................................................................................................. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Super Strong 4. Name some things that you would lift if you were as strong as an ant.

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All Sorts of Ants Write the ant from the box that gets food in the ways described:

. army ants slave makers harvester ants tdairying e o ants honey ants fungus growersc . c e he r 5. ............................................ Needs slaves to feed them and work for them. o t r s s r u e p 6. ............................................ Makes gardens and grows fungus.

7. ............................................ Collects seeds and chews them into ant bread. 8. ............................................ Hangs a fat ant from the ceiling to throw up honeydew. 9. ............................................ The soldiers kill any creature that can’t get away. 10. .......................................... Gets honeydew from aphids and plant lice. Page 20

Name: ............................

Using Information

Information Page: Hoppy T o Know YYou ou To

A grasshopper is an insect that can jump about 20 times as far as the length of its body. If you could do that, you could jump over 30 metres. Grasshoppers live in most parts of the world, except near the north and south poles.

Two Kinds of Grasshoppers Grasshoppers have two antennae on the front of their heads. Grasshoppers are either short-horned, with short antennae (feelers), or long-horned, with long antennae.

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Spit, Hop, Fl y, Hide Fly,

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Grasshopper Eyes

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Many insects and animals, like beetles, birds, lizards, mice, snakes, spiders, and even people, eat grasshoppers. Grasshoppers can get away from their enemies by jumping up and flying away, by biting the enemy with their strong jaws, by “spitting” a brown liquid, or by hiding. The way they look helps them to hide. Grasshoppers that live in green leaves are green, those that live near the ground are brown, and those that live near the beach are sand-coloured. Like other insects, the body of a grasshopper has three main sections: (1) the head, (2) the thorax, and (3) the abdomen. Unlike other insects, grasshoppers have five eyes. Grasshoppers have a large compound eye on each side of the head. With these eyes, the insect can see to the front, to the side, and to the back. A grasshopper also has three small eyes. No one knows what these eyes do.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Most grasshoppers lay eggs late summer andu early autumn. The hatch following •f or r einv i e wp r p os eeggs so nthe l y • spring. Newborn grasshoppers look like adults except they have no wings. It takes 40 to 60 days for a

Growing Up As a Grasshopper

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Grasshopper Songs

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young grasshopper to become an adult. When it grows, the grasshopper must shed its exoskeleton and grow a new, bigger one. This is called moulting. Grasshoppers moult five or six times. Wings grow after the last moult. Both long-horned and short-horned male grasshoppers “sing” to their mates. Most make sounds by rubbing their back legs against their front wings. Different kinds of grasshoppers have their own special songs.

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Shor t-horned Grasshoppers Short-horned

Short-horned grasshoppers have shorter, thicker antennae than the long-horned kinds. They include lubber grasshoppers and locusts. These grasshoppers feed on plants. Many live in fields and meadows where there are plenty of leaves to eat.

Long-Horned Grasshoppers

Long-horned grasshoppers have very thin antennae that may grow longer than the insect’s body. Katydids and Mormon crickets are two types of long-horned grasshoppers. Most long-horned grasshoppers eat plants or dead animals. A few catch and eat other insects.

Explana tions Explanations compound eyes: A type of eye that has many tiny lenses close together. moulting: As insects get bigger, they lose their exoskeleton (outside skeleton) and grow a new, bigger one. (This is kind of like when snakes shed their skin.) © Ready-Ed Publications

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Hoppy to Know Y ou You Use the Information P age on Hoppy TTo o Know Y ou to help you complete this page. Page You Use the Information Page to find out more about grasshoppers. 1. How far could you hop if you could hop like a grasshopper? ...............................

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Types of Grasshoppers 2. Name two types of short-horned grasshoppers. ...............................................................

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............................................................... 4. Name two kinds of long-horned grasshoppers. ...............................................................

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3. The difference between short and long-horned grasshoppers is the length of their:

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o c . c e her Growing Up As a Grasshopper r o t san adult? ............................ 7. How long does it take for a grasshopper toe become sup r

Grasshopper Eyes 6. How many eyes does a grasshopper have? .........................................................

8. What is it called when a grasshopper loses its outside skeleton and grows a bigger, new one?.............................................................. Grasshopper Songs 9. How do grasshoppers “sing”? ............................................................................... .................................................................................................................................... Page 22

Lesson Notes Pages 24 - 29 Content Area(s): language science technology

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Learning Out comes: Outcomes:

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Ma terials Required: Materials Information Pages pencil or pen

Time:

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In this section students will: use the Information Pages to find and record required information. identify given insects as helpful or harmful. create a menu of insects that are eaten by people. answer questions about insects.

Teaching T ips: Al ways go over the directions first. Tips: Alw Discuss how some insects can be both helpful and harmful.

Pages 26/27: Y ummy Bugs Yummy

Pages 28/29: Interesting Insects

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Have an insect party that includes insect foods. If you or the children are uncomfortable with eating insects, there are also options of forming more commonly eaten foods such as biscuits into insect shapes. This section has many interesting facts about various insects. You might want to make a class list of interesting insect facts that the children find as they research insects.

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Information Page: The Good, The Bad, and The Creepy Helpful Insects Insects are very important to the food chain and the web of life. Many animals like birds, frogs, and lizards eat insects. Insects like bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and flies help pollinate plants. We might not have enough fruits or vegetables to eat without insects. Insects also make things that people like. Bees make honey and beeswax (used for making candles). Silkworms make silk (a soft material used to make clothes and other things). There are also insects that help keep our environment clean by eating dead plants and animals. Other helpful insects and spiders eat the harmful insects.

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Some insects are just pests. They damage the things that people like or need. Termites attack furniture and the wooden beams in houses. Silverfish damage books and clothing. Many plant eating insects can ruin people’s food. Other insects and spiders can hurt and even kill people with bites, stings, and poison. Most insects will only hurt people if they are frightened or surprised. So which is the most dangerous insect to people? It is the housefly. Flies taste things with their feet. They walk over all kinds of rotting foods and other things, getting germs on their feet. Then, they might land on your food or plate and leave the germs everywhere. A mosquito is another dangerous insect. When mosquitoes slurp blood they can pass dangerous diseases around. Malaria is a dangerous disease passed by mosquitos.

Creepy Insects

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Even though insects look scary, only a small number of them are harmful. Some insects that can harm people with bites or stings are also very helpful. Spiders, like the black widow, can be poisonous to people, but help by eating harmful insects, like flies. pollinate: To carry pollen from flower to flower so that seeds for new plants and flowers can be formed. Pollen is a yellow powder that plants need to make new plants and flowers. Bees use it to make honey. food chain: How plants and animals are food for each other. For example: plants use the sun and soil to grow, insects eat the plants, spiders eat the insects, birds eat the spiders, foxes eat the birds, the foxes die and are decomposed by different bugs and become soil for the plant. web of life: Life isn’t as simple as a food chain. The web of life is all of the food chains put together. For example: plants use the sun and soil to grow, insects eat the plants, insects spread pollen and seeds to make more plants, spiders eat the insects, birds eat the spiders, deer eat the plants, rabbit eat the plants, cows eat the plants, people eat the plants, people eat cows, deer, and rabbits, wolves eat deer and rabbits. environment: Everything around us.

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The Good, The Bad, and The Creepy Use the Information P age on The Good, The Bad and The Creepy to help you complete this page. Page

Read the Information Page to learn about helpful and harmful insects. Look at the insects below and circle whether they are helpful or harmful. In the box, write how they help or harm people.

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ladybird

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Information Page: YYummy ummy Bugs

You might think it is gross but, many people in the world eat insects. There are lots of insects, they are easy to grow, and very good for you. Some are even yummy!

Australia

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Jap an Japan

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Aborigines of Australia ate many different insects in the past. Bogong moths were cooked in hot ashes and eaten after their wings were taken off. Witchetty grubs, a moth larva, were eaten raw or cooked. They taste kind of like almonds once they have been cooked. Aborigines also liked to eat honeypot ants. They would dig into the ground and find the ants full of the sweet liquid and eat them.

The Japanese people still use insects in food. See if you might want to order one of these at a Japanese restaurant: hachi-no-ko: boiled wasp larvae zaza-mushi: water insect larvae inago: fried grasshoppers

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Termites are a favourite for people of all ages, but the queen termites are especially loved and only eaten by adults.

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Dragonflies and damselflies are hunted and grilled or boiled with ginger, garlic, shallots, chilli pepper, and coconut milk. Mmm, mmm good!

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How Many Bugs Ha ve Y ou Ea ten T oda y? Have You Eaten Toda oday?

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Many foods that we eat have insects or insect parts in them that we don’t see. Without using harmful chemicals, it is impossible for food makers to keep out all insects. Hot dogs, flour, noodles, peanut butter, pizza sauce, berries, chocolate, and all other foods might have some insect eggs, larvae, or pieces in them. Would you rather eat food with a little bit of insect in it or food that has dangerous chemicals in it?

Insect Recipes Maybe you would like to try some insects some time. There are many ways to cook and eat insects. Some can even be eaten raw, but you must be careful because some insects are poisonous. Look on the Internet or in your library to find some ways to eat insects. See if your mum, dad, or teacher will help you make an insect recipe. Page 26

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Insect Recipes

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Information Page: YYummy ummy Bugs (cont.)

Insect P rep ara tion Prep repara aration

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Dry Roasting*

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Buy some mealworms or crickets from a bait and tackle shop or a pet shop. If mealworms came packed in newspaper, they need to be changed to corn meal or bran meal or starved for 24 hours to purge their guts. Place a handful of mealworms at a time in a colander and gently toss. Take out any dead worms and wash the living worms in cool water. Place the worms on paper towels and pat dry. The mealworms are ready to be cooked or frozen for later use. Crickets should be put in the refrigerator to slow them down before you try to wash them. If they become very active before they are completely washed, put them back in the fridge. Be sure to remove the legs, wings, and ovipositor (where eggs come out of the back of female insects) after dry roasting them. Take the cleaned insects out of the freezer. Spread them on a paper-towel covered baking sheet. Bake at 100 degrees for 1-2 hours, until the insects can be easily crushed with a spoon. *These insects can be used in most any recipe that includes nuts, such as biscuits, bread, and brownies.

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* rice bubbles * marshmallows * butter * dry roasted insects * chocolate chips or M&M’s Make rice bubble Chocolate Crackles as you normally do. Add the chocolate and crushed insects. Let them cool and set. Enjoy!

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Yummy Bugs Use the Information P age on Y ummy Bugs to help you complete this page. Page Yummy Read the Information Page and find out how yummy bugs can be!

Country

r o e t s Insect Menu Bo r e p ok u S Insect F ood Food

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Fill in the menu with the insects eaten, or the part of the world that eats the insects. Then, make up your own insect dish for the “Special of the Day”.

Delicious Bagong moths cooked in hot ashes with

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OR crunchy cooked witchetty grubs.

Hachi-No-Ko: ....................................................................... ........................................................ water insect larvae

© Rea dyEdPubl i cat i ons Inago: ................................................................................... f orr e............................................................................................. vi ew pur posesonl y• Nigeria,• Africa

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......................................... Dragonflies grilled with ginger, garlic, shallots, coconut milk, and a hint of chilli pepper.

SPECIAL OF THE DAY .............................................................................................

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Information Page: Interesting Insects There is so much to know about insects. Read some of the interesting facts below. Did Y ou Know? ... You

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Insects first appeared on the earth 400 million years ago. The fossil dragonfly, Meganeura, that lived over 250 million years ago had a wingspan of over 65 centimetres! No-see-ums, very tiny insects, beat their wings 1,046 times per second. Mosquitoes beat their wings 450 - 600 times per second, and cabbageworm butterflies beat their wings nine times per second. Cockroaches are the fastest runners and can move at almost 30cm a second. Fleas can jump 200 times their body length. (This would be like a human jumping over a 70 story building.) Cockroaches have been on the planet for around 300 million years. The queen of a termite colony may lay 6,000 to 7,000 eggs per day, and can live 15 to 50 years! A large swarm of locusts or grasshoppers can eat up to 80,000 tons of grain or other plants per day. Humans have about 792 muscles, while grasshoppers have 900 and caterpillars may have as many as 4,000 separate muscles. In warm weather on a healthy plant, an aphid can make 50 babies in one week that become adults one week later. In one summer, a single cabbage aphid and its young, if none died, could make 1,560,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1 heptillion, 560 hexillion) aphids. Butterflies close their wings flat back to back, but moths hold theirs out or like a tent shape. Monarch butterflies travel for the winter. They may travel many kilometres and even stop to rest in the SAME trees every year! In her whole life, a honeybee only collects enough nectar and pollen to make one teaspoon of honey. The Australian glow-worm is not a worm, but a fly that glows in its larval stage. The longest insect in the world is the giant stick insect that grows to about 40 centimetres long.

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Interesting Insects Use the Information P age on Interesting Insects to help you complete this page. Page Use the Information Page to help you answer these questions. 1. What is the name of the fossil dragonfly that lived over 250 million years ago?

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2. Which insects are the fastest runners?

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3. How many eggs can a queen termite lay every day? ......................................................................................

4. How long does it take an aphid baby to become an adult?

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......................................................................................... 6. How do moths close their wings?

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5. How do butterflies close their wings?

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8. True or false: Caterpillars have more muscles than humans. .................................................................................... 9. What is the longest insect in the world?................................................................. Page 30

Lesson Notes Pages 32 - 34 Content Area(s): reading and comprehension science research

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Learning Out comes: Outcomes:

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Ma terials Required: Materials library, computer, or other resource materials general activity page pencil or pen, old magazines, glue, scissors.

Time:

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In this section students will: use resource materials to find required information. differentiate between insects and non-insects. identify insect homes. practice creating an image with bilateral symmetry.

Page 32: Which One Is An Insect?

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Page 33: The Same on Both Sides

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Review the attributes of insects (six legs, wings - usually, and three body parts) before allowing students to do the activity. Have reference books, encyclopedias, or computers available for students to research creatures that they are unsure about. Follow this up with an art activity where you give each student a piece of paper with half of a butterfly shape printed in the middle. Have them fold it in half and cut. When they open it, both sides should be exactly the same shape. You may then assist children in putting drops of paint on one side. When the butterfly is folded over, pressed together and opened up, both sides will be the same pattern, showing bilateral symmetry.

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Provide many magazines for children to use and reference books to find insect names.

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Activity P age Page

Which One Is An Insect? Use your library or other resources to help you complete this activity page.

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bee

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aphid

crab

cockroach

butterfly

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mosquito

housefly

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snail

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scorpion

louse (lice)

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INSECT

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Remember that all insects have three body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen) and three pairs of legs. Look at the list below. Decide which are insects and which are not insects.

centipede

NOT AN INSECT

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