Insect Characteristics

Transcription

1 Lesson Overview Insects are all around us! There are more than 70,000 different species of insects and they live in almost every kind of climate and habitat, including dry deserts, grassy fields, wet marshes, icy mountains, rainforests, and more. Students will learn which characteristics insects have in common. They will explore the adaptations that allow insects to not only survive, but thrive, in so many different environments. In this lesson, students will investigate which characteristics and adaptations make insects the largest group of animals on Earth. Objectives Identify common insect body parts Research structural and behavioral adaptations that help insects to survive in specific habitats Analyze and compare various insects body parts and adaptations Construct an argument using a model that explains the connections between an insect s structural/behavioral adaptations and its survival Standards (NGSS and Common Core) For state specific standards visit edu.zspace.com Next Generation Science Standards Grade level: 3rd - 5th Grade Lesson Time: 120 Minutes Key Terms: Abdomen Adaptation Behavioral Jointed Structural Thorax Resources: Answer Key worksheet Create Your Own Insect worksheet Materials needed: Various materials to make insect models (construction paper, cardboard, paper towel tubes, toilet paper tubes, thread spools, pipe cleaners, tape, string, styrofoam, etc.) Life Science - From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes 4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. Common Core Connections Language Arts W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. SL.4.5 Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. Mathematics 4.G.A.3 Recognize the line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. 1

2 Differentiation (Δ) Group students heterogeneously to allow students with a strong command of the English language to assist in reading or interpreting questions Work as partners or in small groups (younger children could partner with older buddies) Introduction The teacher will introduce the lesson by stating that insects live all around us. The teacher will ask the following questions to start a discussion among the students: How many different kinds of insects are there? What features do all insects have in common? Where do insects live? What adaptations do insects have to live in their particular habitat? Students will compare different kinds of insects in zspace. They will then use textbooks and the Internet to research insects on their own and share their findings with the class. Finally, students will create their own insects. Activity This section will be completed in Studio. Scene 1 Insects are everywhere! There are more than 70,000 different species of insects and they make up the largest group of animals. Insects are typically small in comparison to other animal groups, but they do vary in size. Use the Straight Ruler tool (in centimeters or inches) to measure the wing span of the dragonfly and the butterfly. Take a screenshot. Scene 2 Although insects vary in size, they have several common body features that classify them as insects. Here are four different insects: a praying mantis, a butterfly, a wasp and an ant. Analyze each insect up close. Turn on the labels for help. Look for similarities in their body parts. Look for differences in their body parts. Think about how these differences help each insect survive in its own environment. 2

3 Individual Student Research and Sharing Students will each choose a different insect to study. Using textbooks and the Internet, students will research their chosen insect s structural and behavioral adaptations to live in its specific environment. Students will record their research on the worksheet. Students will share their findings about their chosen insect with the rest of the class. Students will determine which insect characteristics or adaptations are most common and then make conclusions about why these features are most common. As a math extension, students will also identify the line of symmetry for each insect. Create Your Own Insect Based on their new knowledge of insects, students will create their own insect with various structural and behavioral adaptations to survive in a particular environment. First, students will choose a specific habitat for their insect to live in, such as the desert, rain forest, or wetland. Next, students will decide what their insect will look like and what structural and behavioral adaptations it will have for survival. Students will name their new insect and draw a detailed picture of it. Students will record their information on the Create Your Own Insect worksheet. Students will then create 3D models of their insect using materials of their choice. And finally, students will give presentations to the class about their new insect and its many adaptations for survival in its environment. Closing Students will share what they liked about other students newly created insects and models. Questions for Discussion 1. Based on your research of insects, what structural and behavioral adaptations help insects to be successful in so many different habitats? Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Insects are successful for many different reasons. Their hard exoskeleton gives them protection from predators and injury. It also minimizes their loss of body fluids. The wings of insects help them to escape from dangerous situations. Their small size helps them to hide from predators and find shelter easily. It also allows them to require minimal resources (food and water). Insects also have very short life cycles which allow them to adapt quickly to changing environments. 2. Can you think of an example of when humans have tried to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how insects use their structural adaptations to survive? Explain. Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Humans have invented airplanes with wings that fly like insects. Humans have invented helmets for protection like the exoskeleton of insects. 3

4 Δ Investigate Further Follow-up Activity: Animal Defenses and Mammal Characteristics - Studio Follow-up Activity: Life Cycle of a Termite - CyberScience. Extension Activity: Students could go on a hunt for insects in the garden or observe a collection of preserved insects using magnifying glasses. Students could analyze the insects and look for similarities and differences. Extension Activity: Students could identify a real world problem that exists today and try to solve it by mimicking a structural adaptation of insects. Answer Key Activity Questions Provided in Studio 1. Use the Straight Ruler tool (in centimeters or inches) to measure the wingspan of the dragonfly and the butterfly. Answers will vary. Sample Answer: The dragonfly wingspan is about 14 cm or 5.5 in. The butterfly wingspan is about 7.5 cm or 3 in. 2. Although insects vary in size, they have several common body features that classify them as insects. Look for similarities in their body parts. Answers will vary. Sample Answer: All insects have three main body parts (a head, thorax, and abdomen). All insects have six legs, jointed limbs, and an exoskeleton. Many insects also have wings. 3. Look for differences in their body parts. Think about how these differences help each insect survive in its own environment. Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Insects differ in color, pattern, and size. Their specific coloration helps them to be camouflaged in their particular habitat. 4

5 Name Date Complete this worksheet after completing the tour in Studio. Insect: Habitat: Draw a detailed picture of your chosen insect. Physical Description (body parts, size, color, patterns) Structural or Behavioral Adaptations Functions for Survival

6 Name Date Create Your Own Insect Complete this worksheet after completing the tour in Studio. New Insect Name: Habitat: Draw a detailed picture of your new insect. Physical Description (body parts, size, color, patterns) Structural or Behavioral Adaptations Functions for Survival