Bug-scope Lesson

1. Bug-scope Lesson Meghan Van Hoegarden Educ 140 Ms. Korb

2. My Drawing of an Insect The first sketch, to the left, is what I drew before seeing the butterfly under the microscope. The second sketch, which is very much the same, is what I drew after viewing the butterfly. The images are similar because my initial drawing was relatively detailed and those were the details that I saw under the microscope. I left it as a full size because it was easier to make sense of for me.

3. About my Insect • “Butterflies belong to the insect order Lepidoptera. The word "Lepidoptera" is derived from a Greek word meaning "scale wing." The butterfly wing scales create the wonderful colors and patterns observed in butterfly wings. There are 165,000 species of Lepidoptera worldwide, but of those, only about 24,000 are butterflies! Butterflies range in size from a tiny 1/8 inch to a huge almost 12 inches. Most adult butterflies only live one or two weeks. Adult butterflies use flower nectar as a food source. To obtain nectar, a butterfly's mouth (proboscis) is a long tube it keeps rolled up until ready for use, and is then used as a straw. Butterflies can see red, green, and yellow.” • “The transformation of the frequently ugly or bizarre caterpillar into an elegant butterfly - is truly one of the regularly performed miracles of Nature. All butterflies have "complete metamorphosis." To grow into an adult they go through 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Each stage has a different goal - for instance, caterpillars need to eat a lot, and adults need to reproduce. Because the caterpillar and adult eat different kinds of food, this helps the butterflies to better survive. Depending on the species, the life cycle of a butterfly (one generation) may take anywhere from about one month to an entire year.” http://www.thebutterflysite.com/biology.shtml

4. Bug-scope Image from Class… This image is from the bug-scope collection of images. It does not represent that of a butterfly, but instead a different insect. It is magnified a lot, unlike the other images that represent the butterfly on here. This image allows us to see the outer-layer of the insect close up and in doing this, we are able to discuss which part of the insect serves as what. This is very beneficial to students’ learning because it helps them develop meaning of what they are studying. They are really able to develop a deeper understanding of insects when they are able to work with images and resources such as these.

5. Some Other Online Images (of my insect)

6. Overview Overall, everything that we saw under the microscope/on the bug-scope was much more detailed and magnified than the online images and sketches that we found. Once we saw the insects so close-up, we were able to identify different parts of their makeup and talk about the purpose that each part served. In magnifying the butterfly under the microscope, we were able to observe all of the details that I had surpassed in my sketch. I found that my sketch was actually pretty accurate, just minus a few details. Also, it was very interesting to go through on the bug-scope and see the insects up so close. It was nice to be able to discuss various parts of the insect and their functions. It made things a lot more clear by doing this instead of just looking at the insects under the microscope. By talking over bug-scope, we were able to develop meaning for what we were observing, which was a very constructive way of learning. This is a good activity to do in a classroom with students in order to develop meaning on this topic for them, as well as an engaging and exciting activity.

7. National Standards • F.4.1 Discover how each organism meets its basic needs for water, nutrients, protection, and energy in order to survive • Students will study and investigate where these insects usually live, how long does they live, what habitats they inhabit, what they eat, and how they mate. By the end of the lesson, they will be able to address this standard in an efficient and knowledgeable manner. • F.4.3 Illustrate the different ways that organisms grow through life stages and survive to produce new members of their type • This standard addresses what students will learn about how these insects mate and reproduce. They will need to understand this and be able to outline the steps for specific insects. http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scif4.html

8. Technology/Literature Involved • In a lesson dealing with insects such as this one, it would be ideal to use microscopes in the classroom to take a closer look at specific insects. Microscopes would be used to better students’ understanding of each insect’s personal make-up. Then, students would draw and label the parts of the insect based on what they know about them. Then, they would be told the correct parts and there would be discussion on the purpose that each part of the insect serves. • Additional literature could also be incorporated into a lesson related to insects. A few useful pieces in the classroom would be: Fabre's Book of Insectsby Jean Henri Fabre Insect (Eyewitness Guides)by Laurence Mound