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Home , Mealworm, Waxworm

2nd Grade FOSS kit

2.L.1 Understand life cycles.

2.L.1.1 Summarize the life cycle of : • Birth • Developing into an adult • Reproducing • Aging and death 2.L.1.2 Compare life cycles of different animals such as, but not limited to, , ladybugs, crickets, guppies or frogs.

Can be done in any order. Entire kit covers these goals. Also see NCDPI Curriculum Unit for 2nd grade Life cycles

Investigation 1 Part 1 Mealworms Very easy to care for in classroom; can observe their life cycle in the 10 week period.

Materials: Clear basins (class habitat), plastic cups for distributing materials, Vials with snap lids for each student to observe meal ; screen to sift bran from meal worms; labels to cut to put on lid of vial with name; pushpins to poke holes in lid of vial for air; hand lenses to observe meal worms; letter home to parents; record; life of a booklet cover, staple cover page and 6-7 mealworm sheets for booklet

You provide; strawberry basket or other container to hold the groups 4 vials; erasable marking pen, scissors, 1/2 sheet white paper for each student; knife to cut for mealworm - apple, sweet potato, potato, carrots; wheat bran (food for mealworms); 200 mealworms

Gather students to the rug: When did you last see an insect? What was the insect doing? How did you know it was an insect? Introduce mealworm as an insect. Every student will get a mealworm, ½ sheet paper and hand lens. Engage students in discussion about what you observe. What do we need to know if we are going to keep them? Need space, food, air, water or moisture. Each student gets a vial with a hole in the lid, a label, bran, a piece of potato, 2 mealworms, secure lid. Each student makes this type of mealworm habitat and keeps it on their desk to observe over time. Set up class mealworm container. Mark on calendar the day the mealworms arrived.

Investigation 1 Part 2 larvae, pupae, adult Can take 2-4 weeks.

1 Materials: posters, chart paper, pen to record observations of structures, changes, etc. Changes in color (turn white when molting), tiny orange granules are droppings; mealworm changes into another form - - resting stage of mealworm. Pupa changes into an adult , . Hand lens and vial match to create perfect focus. 3 body parts of mealworm: Head, thorax, abdomen. Record observations and “what we learned” chart. Use summary life cycle chart at the end of the sessions to show what was learned. FOSS reading stories.

Investigation 1 Part 3 Life Cycle Establish and adult only beetle habitat. Potato, bran. After 2 weeks in habitat, scoop up some bran and distribute to each student on paper. Look for baby mealworms; engage in discussion as to where they came from. Add bran and potato every week. Concepts: Insects need air, water, food, space. Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors. The life cycle of a beetle is , , pupa, adult, which produces .

By working with other insects, students can compare life cycles and structures.

Investigation 2: Part 1 Wax worms are the larval stage of wax , invades hives. Larva is similar to mealworm, but has differences. Spins , like all moths; can hold in their hand.

Materials: Each group 2 plastic cups, 1 cup lid, 1 label, 1 push pin, pr of hand lenses, Plastic forceps, bottle of glycerin. You provide: scissors, paper, marking pen; sugar, baby cereal, chart paper, cardboard box; wax worms

Stored in plastic container with holes in lid; make food with glycerin, sugar, water and baby cereal. Dissolve 3/8 cup of glycerin, ¼ cup sugar in ¼ cup water; slowly pour water into a whole box of cereal and mix vigorously. Keeps indefinitely, does not need to be refrigerated. Each group of 4 students gets a cup with 4 wax worms; ½ sheet paper, hand lens, caution to be respectful of living things. See wax larvae have 13 segments, move fast, are soft, has 6 legs like all insects, but also have 4 pr. Of prolegs with claspers that help larvae hold on to materials. Tail has claspers; students can feel and observe these Investigation 2; Part 1 Spins silk Give each group of 4 a cup containing 4 waxworms and another cup to allow students to contain crawling waxworms by turning the cup upside down; each pair of students gets a hand lens

2 Move very fast; make silk for a lifeline over which they move; extruded through mouth area; may keep waxworms, but they need space, air, food and water; put waxworms in shoe box and put on lid; keeps it warm and dark Investigation 2; Part 2 Larva, pupa and adult life cycles Large plastic container with lid, hand lenses, waxworms You provide: wax paper May stay larva for a long time; are temperature dependent; keep warm Leave pupa in cocoon Remove moths and put in clear cups with lids; put all moths into large glass container; need substrate for egg laying; use wax paper fan for moths to lay eggs; when you see eggs on wax paper, transfer them to cup with food source; you will see larva emerge; look at life cycle posters and compare to mealworm life cycles Insects have similar structures and behaviors. moths produce silk. Investigation 3; Part 1 Milkweed Bugs Goes through incomplete metamorphosis; eat only sunflower seeds Vials with lids (1 for each group of 4 students), paintbrush, labels, hand lenses You supply paper and eggs; eggs hatch within 3-4 days of arrival; divide eggs into 8 parts and put 1 part in each vial Give each group a vial and hand lens and invite them to take a close look Investigation 3 Part 2 Milkweed bug habitat Students will see tiny bugs in their vials Vial of bugs/eggs, label, hand lens, large ziploc bag, ball of cotton, piece of netting, vial with lid, sunflower seeds; rubber bands, push pin, piece of cardboard You need paintbrush, wooden dowel with pointed end, hole punch You provide: jumbo paper clips, scissors, paper towels, twigs Each group makes a milkweed bug habitat Punch holes in Ziploc bag near the top (push into cardboard); put twigs in bag to make a small branching “tree”; put cotton in tree; shell sunflower seeds; place seeds in netting and secure with rubber band; hang the food package in the tree; punch hole in the center of vial lid, roll piece of paper towel into tube; twist and place the paper towel in a vial of water; put fountain; use jumbo paper clip to hang bag Baby milkweed bugs are called nymphs; we will observe these in the classroom; one student takes care of each of the jobs: air, space, food, water. Put vial with bugs inside the bag; hang bag somewhere easy to observe; place near sunlight Investigation 3; Part 3 Milkweed bugs Poster milkweed bug pictures, male and female, stages Observe bugs drinking, eating, cleaning antennae, mating, lay eggs in cotton; brown spots on bag are droppings Concepts Insects hatch from eggs. Insects have three body parts: head, thorax, abdomen Insects have different structures for eating different kinds of food. Some insects go through simple metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult), Investigation 4 Silkworms Can see egg-larvae-pupa-adult

3 Large is very large and moves slowly, adult is very large and doesn’t fly; can save eggs to use later Drawback: only eat fresh mulberry leaves (April-October); must feed them everyday Start activity within a week of arrival of eggs Vial, label 2 hand lenses, brush, class calendar Scissors, marker Investigation 4 Part 2 When some of the larvae have hatched out of eggs, you begin this activity, Vial of eggs/ larvae, hand lens, brush; e=record sheet Nursery for silkworms, mulberry leaves (gather and place in refrigerators) Get vials, observe what is inside; place leaves in box, transfer larvae and eggs onto mulberry leaves in box. Cover box with wrap Investigation 4 Part 3 Close observation When silkworms have reached 2 cm, make silkworm habitat sheet, hand lens,

Tape, mulberry leaves, silkworms Investigation 4; Part 4 Ask students to count segments on silkworm (13); draw 13 circles, head is smaller, 3 segments have legs (thorax), segments at the end are abdomen and have prolegs or claspers. Where does silk come from in silkworm (close to head) Investigation 4; Part 5 larva and adults Mature larva, hand lens, paper, mulberry leaves, egg carton, box When first larva spins cocoon, place in new habitat box with paper on bottom, egg carton upside down, mulberry leaves; hatch in about 2 weeks; adults do not need food or water – only mate and lay eggs Concepts: Insect larva have structures in common. Insect adults have structures in common. Male and female insects mate and the female lays eggs. Moths pupate in silk cocoons. Investigation 5 Butterflies Class project; painted lady larva, painted lady class journal, a few weeks old, may observe the larva in a center; larva will climb the substrate, form J shape and form pupa Investigation 5; Part 2 Net, vial holder, line cage with paper; vial with sugar water fountain; mallow for adults to lay eggs on Have students observe painted lady pupa and identify the chrysalis Attach paper containing chrysalis to underside of lid with tape Investigation 5; Part 3 Butterflies As soon as a week later, the butterfly will emerge; red splats on bottom of cage are waste products; put cage in sunlight; eggs will be laid on mallow

Insect larvae and adults have structures in common. The life cycle of the butterfly is egg, larva, pupa and adult, which produces eggs. Investigation 6; Other Insects Crickets, Ants, aquatic insects are all good choices for classroom insects

4 Assemble habitat using: Clear plastic containers with hole, 2 lids, washer, rubber bands, fountain, netting, sand, potting soil, hole punch, 2-2L soda bottles, egg carton, scissors, duct tape, paper towels

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