Insect Habitat

[ABCDE] Volume 1, Issue 5 Oct. 9, 2001

CURRICULUM GUIDE: INSECT HABITAT

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IN THIS ISSUE

Wild World of Bugs Reproducible Meet the Insects Insect Resources A scorching tale of Play the matching 2104 lunchtime and ants. game.

Vocabulary Field Trip! Academic 3 Back Yard Lingo 7 Ah, the Smithsonian 11 Content Standards

Insect Habitat KidsPost Article: “Mister Bug: Gary Hevel Found a Wild World in His Back Yard” Insect Resources Lesson: Observing and Classifying Insects On the Web and in Print Level: Beginning to Advanced ON THE WEB Subject: Science http://www1.bos.nl/~bijlmakers/entomology/begin.htm Procedure Entomology For Beginners Read and Discuss A site for children to introduce the anatomy of adult insects and the Give students copies of "Entomology: Ant's Thermal metamorphosis of insects Window of Opportunity" (see page 4). Explain to http://earthlife.net/insects/six.html students the source of this Science Notebook selection. The Wonderful World of Insects After students have read and answered the questions, discuss the answers. Tell students that although some Ever wonder what makes an insect an insect? Which is the biggest or smallest insect? The insect with the longest diapause? You'll find out at the researchers will go to faraway places to observe and to Wonderful World of Insects. You will also learn how to join the Bug Club. discover more about plants and animals, they can make many discoveries in their own back yards. http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectsasfood.html Insect Recipes Develop Vocabulary For the adventurous. The Entomology Club at Iowa State University Give students the Back Yard Vocabulary words to define. provides eight recipes that range from chocolate-covered grasshoppers This can be done individually, as pairs or as a class. to rootworm beetle dip. Depending on the age of your students, you may wish to http://www.insectia.com/ give them Word Study: a look at entomology before they Insectia.com read the selection. This will prepare them to understand In English and French what Gary Havel does professionally. Although Insectia.com promotes the 13 half-hour episodes of Insectia, there is much to be learned from the site itself. Check the profiles of 37 Read and Discuss star insects and the travel logs. RealVideo brings them to life. The Read KidsPost article, "Mister Bug." Give students the "Spotlight On" photographs and narrative give just enough information following questions and discuss their answers. to encourage further research. 1. What is an entomologist? Where do entomologists work? http://www.discovery.com/exp/spiders/spiders.html Spiders! 2. Why do you think Gary Hevel was not surprised to If you are studying Australia, you may wish to explore all sections of find so many insects in his back yard? the Discovery and the American Museum of Natural History expedi- 3. So far Mr. Hevel has found “2,200 species” in his back tion. For use with the KidsPost article, click on "In Your Own yard.What is a species? Backyard." Check out the descriptions and photographs of nine spiders you may find in your backyard. 4. In a census, the population is counted. Why is Gary Hevel taking a census of insects in his backyard? http://www.bugbios.com/ Bugbios 5. Mr. Hevel said he will continue his census until "the A "shameless promotion of insect appreciation" is valuable for its 17-year cicada comes back in 2004." What is meant by pictures and links to more scholarly sites. “17-year cicada”? If the life cycle of the periodical cicada ends in 2004, in what year did it begin? http://www.bugbios.com/entophiles/index.html Bugbios: Entomological Database of Very Cool Bugs 6. Name three ways Hevel has caught insects. Photographs and limited information on 14 insect orders. 7. When Hevel mounts an insect, what information is included on the label? continued

8. The ability of insects to adapt has been one of nature's great success stories. http://www.ent.iastate.edu/List/insect_c Insects represent 80% of all species. Give an example of adaptation in the ollections.html article. Iowa State Entomology Index: Insect Collections Introduce Dichotomous Keys Links to insect collections around the world. You may wish to visit one of the suggested Web resources (see Page 5) if you A resource for the serious entomologist and have very young students. Use "Arthropods and Dichotomous Keys" to teachers. Also visit the index of insect introduce students to taxonomy. sounds.

Enrichment IN PRINT 1. Insects can be friend and foe. You might have students study the relation of Boniface, William. Mystery In Bugtown birds and insects. For the pro-bird perspective read How Birds Keep our World Illustrated by Jim Harris, published by Safe from the Plagues of Insects Accord Publishing Ltd. 1997. (http://natzoo.si.edu/smbc/Products/Factsheets/fxsht2.htm). Inspector Cricket's investigation begins when gangster Charlie Roach is nearly murdered 2. Artist M.C. Escher often used insects in his imagery. Show students examples at the Bugtown Insects' Ball. Die cut holes of his work. Can they identify the insects? "Symmetry E70; Butterflies" is one show wiggling eyeballs on each of the example (http://www.WorldOfEscher.com/gallery/SymmetryE70.html). featured insects which include Police Chief Slugg, Inspector Cricket, Charlie Roach, 3. Learn more about butterflies. Visit a ThinkQuest project created by three Miss Ladybug, Ferdinand ant, C-Note Pete students in Germany, Hong Kong and California. Butterflies: On the Wings of (a centipede, which is NOT an insect Freedom (http://library.thinkquest.org/C002251/index2.shtml?tqskip=1) because it has too many legs), Spider Queen, provides scientific information, photographs, an interactive game for younger the Mantis Brothers, and Katy (who did it). students and films created by the team. There is even a place for students to post After the wonderfully engrossing story, there and to read poems about butterflies. "Butterflies at School" will give teachers is a glossary of all the insects and bug char- advice on learning about butterflies and moths in the classroom. Available in acters from the story with in-depth descrip- English, German and Chinese. tions and illustrations of them all. Recommended: Children 3 and up. "Mister Bug" can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- Davis, Richard. Antics: An Ant Thology. dyn/articles/A29094-2001Oct9.html. 1995. Go to "An Ant Thology Home Page" (http://www.ionet.net/~rdavis/antics.shtml) to get an ant-vance look at "Ant" words. Back Yard Vocabulary

Adaptation: An alteration or Entomologist: One who engages in head, thorax and abdomen, and adjustment in structure of habits, the scientific study of insects usually having two pairs of wings often hereditary, by which a Exotic: From another part of the Menagerie: A collection of wild species or individual improves its world; intriguingly unusual animals or exhibition; a diverse or condition in its environment miscellaneous group Impale: To pierce with a sharp stake Biodiversity: Variety of life or point Species: A fundamental category of taxonomic classification, Bristle: To be covered or thick with Insect: Small arthropod animals of consisting of related organisms the class Insecta, having an adult capable of interbreeding Census: An official usually periodic stage characterized by three pairs count of a population of legs and a body segmented into Teeming: To be full of, swarming

Entomology: Ant’s Thermal Window of Opportunity

When the heat of the Sahara's 1. The daily cycle of an animal's 5. Why do you think the three midday sun reaches about 116 activities are influenced by such researchers studied and reported degrees Fahrenheit and has driven factors as temperature, on the behavior of Sahara silver availability of food, humidity, ants? Why would the Post report all other creatures underground, the rainfall, searching for mates, it to its readers in metropolitan silver ants burst out from their day/night cycle and threat of a D.C.? Why is such knowledge burrows for the only opportunity predator. Which of these important to us? they have all day to find food. factors is evident in Able to tolerate temperatures that "Entomology: Ant's Thermal 6. What do you think would happen to silver ant behavior if would kill other species, they forage Window of Opportunity"? Give an example of each factor. a colony were relocated to the for corpses of other insects that sands of the Virginia or came out earlier but failed to retreat 2. Describe the relation of the Maryland coastline? What in time and died of overheating. following six elements. The would happen to the colony's Later in the day, when the relationship may be depicted in organization? What would temperature hits 128, even the silver a paragraph, an illustration happen to the sensor ants and with labels and captions or a the job they traditionally ants must retreat. narrative told from the point of perform? Would the dramatic Why don't the ants come out view of one of the "characters." change kill them or would the before it gets so hot? Because there less hostile environment cause is a species of lizard that lives near a. Sahara silver ants the numbers to flourish? What ant nests and gobbles up any that b. 116 else do you need to know about venture out too early. At about the the Virginia and Maryland c. Underground burrows coastlines before you can make temperature that forces the lizards d. 128 a hypothesis about the ant's underground, the ants come out, potential for survival? signaled by sensor ants that check e. Fringe-toed lizard the temperature at intervals. f. Sensor ants Read Science Notebook and Science articles on Monday in the Post for Because ants are so small, their 3. Why do the ants not seek food exploration and explanation of aspects body temperature is about the same earlier in the day or later in the of science affecting our society and an as that of the air. Even though evening? introduction to recent discoveries. silver ants can function at the This Science Notebook piece was 4. The diurnal fringe-fingered published in The Washington Post in highest temperature of any known lizard, Acanthodactylus 1992. In it former Post science writer land animal, when the temperature dumerili,whose favorite food is Boyce Rensberger was reporting on the study of researchers in the Department has risen another 12 degrees, they the silver ant, has eyelids with of Zoology at the University of Zurich must retreat or die. interlocking scales and fringes (Rudiger Wehner and Sybil Wehner) and —Boyce Rensberger on its fingers and toes. How the Department of Zoology at the might these adaptations help it University of Namibia in Africa (A.C. to survive in its habitat? Marsh). Their study had just been published in Nature.

Arthropods and Dichotomous Keys ON THE WEB, KEYS TO ORGANIZING Introductions to dichotomous keys can be found at the following Web sites. Lesson: An introduction to dichotomous keys http://www.iit.edu/~smile/bi8611.html Level: Beginning to Advanced Constructing a Dichotomous Key http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/activit Subject: Science y/key.shtml Procedure Dichotomous Key: Classroom Activity Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Process_Skills/ developed a system of categorizing organisms. Called SPS0002.html binomial nomenclature, the system is still used today to Dichotomous Key: An AskERIC Lesson Plan classify new species that are discovered. http://www.zoo.utoronto.ca/able/volumes/vol-12/7- Structurally similar organisms are placed into a group timme/7-timme.htm called a species. How to Construct and Use a Dichotomous Key Similar species are grouped into a larger group called a Help with preserving and displaying insects can be found at this site. genus, and a similar genera into a family. http://master.ph.utexas.edu/TxVC/TreeOfLife/JMcFarland/ mcfarland/insects/identify/idorde~1.htm Similar families are placed in an order; similar orders, in Identifiable Features and Collecting Tips For the Adult Form of Some a class, and similar classes, in a phylum. Insect Orders Phyla are placed in one of five kingdoms. Habitat Vocabulary More than 80 percent of all animal species belong to the Phylum Arthropoda. Biota: The animal and Prey: An animal that is plant life of a region; hunted and eaten by a This lesson plan introduces students to arthropods, the flora and fauna. predator. methodology of classification and dichotomous keys. Community: The plants Reproduction: The What are the distinguishing characteristics of and animals within a natural process by arthropods? certain habitat. which new individuals Ecosystem: A are generated and the Teachers should collect specimen (either alone, with your community plus the species perpetuated. family or on a class field trip). Or on one of those back- nonliving environment. Species: A group of to-school days, go with colleagues on a hunting Eradication: To remove, living things of the expedition. If you work with colleagues, you could have destroy. same kind that can quite a collection. Remember to bring small bags or jars Habitat: A place where reproduce with one in which to place your finds. Be sure to record the date another. and location where each was found. Species identification living things naturally Survival: The process of will be added later. grow and live. Hypothesis: An educated ensuring that a species, Examples of arthropods should be grouped by guess. or individual, will live distinguishing characteristics. To create each display, 8-inch to maturity and Niche: Organism's role, reproduce. by 8-inch boxes, 8-inch by 8-inch Styrofoam sheets and or job, in its habitat long pins will work. Read to learn preservation techniques Taxonomy: The science Population: The number if you plan to use this arthropod collection annually. of identifying, of individuals classifying and naming If instructors have five groups of arthropods, they should representing a species organisms. divide the class into five groups. Place students with in a given area.

different strengths in each group. Students will rotate in ■ What are the traits of Phylum Arthropoda? a group to each specimen grouping. For each group of When students have completed data collection, ask specimen, students should be asked to students to examine all five lists of characteristics. What characteristics do all groups share? These would ■ Examine the groups of arthropod specimen. be Phylum Arthropoda traits. Traits of the Phylum Arthropoda include chitinous ■ List three distinguishing characteristics they all share. exoskeleton and a segmented body to which jointed appendages are articulated in pairs. "Arthro" comes ■ Draw sketches to illustrate the chosen characteristics. from the Greek root arthron, meaning joint. The data collection sheet does not need to be elaborate: ■ How do scientists classify a new, unidentified organism? Introduce students to dichotomous keys which GROUP ONE scientists use to place unidentified organisms into related groups. A dichotomous key has two choices and Characteristic 1: each choice will either identify the organism or send it on to additional choices. A dichotomous key for classes of the Phylum Arthropoda might look like this: Characteristic 2: 1. a. Arthropods with six legs ...... Class Insecta b. Arthropods with more than six legs ...... go to #2 Characteristic 3: 2. a. Arthropods with four pairs of legs ...... Class Arachnida Sketch: b. Arthropods with more than four pairs of legs. go to #3 If you were establishing a dichotomous key for insects, you might first ask students what is true of all insects. They have six legs, jointed legs and wings. Then they must observe more closely to distinguish one insect grouping from another. Teachers would have a chart of the distinguishing characteristics for their own reference. This would include Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Odonata, Hemiptera, Orthoptera and Diptera. Specimens for all of these can be found in the metropolitan area. Mosquitoes and true flies are of the order Diptera, while crickets, cockroaches and grasshoppers of Orthoptera, for example. The order Diptera is distinguished by a single pair of membranous wings and a pair of club-shaped balancing organs. The characteristics you would have for Orthopterans would include folded membranous hind wings covered by narrow, leathery forewings and mouthparts that are adapted for chewing. When finished, put the lids on the boxes, and store your mini-museum for next year.

Visit the Smithsonian NMNH

National Museum of Natural History http://photo2.si.edu/bfly/bflybui The National Museum of Natural ld.html for background on this Naturalist Center History had 9.4 million visitors in outdoor addition to the Mall. Discover the Naturalist Center! 2000, making it the most-visited Imagine having resources, once only O. Orkin Insect Zoo museum on earth. available to professional researchers ... Climb inside a replica of a termite The paleobiology area has many right at your fingertips. Now you can mound. Interact with live spiders, insect fossils and the Burgess Shale explore a vast "library" of over 30,000 roaches and other insects. Visit the at the entrance to the dinosaur hall objects from the Smithsonian house to meet some hitchhikers. has many arthropods (insect Institution's natural history collections, Docents are available to answer relatives). The giant eurypterid and use books, microscopes and other questions. Prepare for your visit model in the paleo hall is a great tools to help you study them. with a virtual tour at insect ancestor. Life in the Ancient Discover how scientists solve mysteries http://www.mnh.si.edu/museum Seas has many trilobites, extinct by solving real mysteries yourself. /VirtualTour/Tour/Second/InsectZ insect relatives. Zuni pottery on the The Naturalist Center is a unique oo/index.html. No reservations first floor has some insect icons on educational facility of the Smithsonian needed. the pottery itself. Africa Hall has Institution's National Museum of insect icons on some artifacts. How to Arrange a Tour Natural History. It is designed especially Teachers, call 1-800-563-4687 and for students, collectors, teachers, artists Smithsonian Butterfly Habitat ask for the PLANET INSECT and others who have a serious interest in Garden video and teacher guide. It is a free natural history. Wetland, meadow, wood's edge 10-minute video for teachers and Examine, study, draw, photograph, and urban garden habitats students about the insect zoo; the measure, research, identify, compare and demonstrate the partnership guide has materials for use in the find answers to intriguing natural between plants, butterflies and classroom. history questions. YOU are the bees. The second phase continues Docent-led lesson tours in the investigator at the Naturalist Center. the key concepts from the first National Museum of Natural The Naturalist Center in Loudoun garden and adds several new History are offered without cost, County, Virginia, is located just two ones—a pollination station that weekday mornings on a pre- miles from the Dulles Toll Road highlights the role bees play in scheduled basis. Application for Extension (the Greenway) in the habitat health and signs that tours and programs is found at Leesburg Air Park, an easy drive from provide clues to seasonal butterfly http://www.mnh.si.edu/museum Washington, free of traffic and stop behavior. The central goal of the /education/2000/tour_app.html; lights. There is plenty of parking for cars garden is to help people of all ages these must be submitted at least 4 and buses. The address is 741 Miller observe and learn about the weeks in advance to the Office of Drive SE, Leesburg VA 20175. Call 703- interactions that are going on Education. You must have one adult 779-9712 or 1-800-729-7725 for around them and to encourage for every 10 students, grades 3-7. directions and scheduling information. them to plant vegetation that will Regular museum hours: 10:00 nurture plant and insect diversity, a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day of the Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, which, in turn, affects the health of year except Christmas Day. An 10:30 to 4 p.m. the environment. The garden estimated 8 million people visited Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and all provides practical information on the NMNH in 2000. Plan your visit. federal holidays how to do this. Call 202-357-2700 for information. Go to

Word Study: A look at entomology Taxonomy Outline

You know a classical language—Greek. Greek words Kingdom are found in many of our English words. They can be Animalia a prefix, a root word and a suffix. Plantae Entomon is Greek for insect. Its root is entomos, Fungi meaning cut in two, or tomos, section. Early Prokaryotae observers noticed that insect bodies were divided into Protoctista parts.

Do you recognize "logy" at the end of "entomology"? Phyla You have seen it in "biology" and "zoology." This There are 36 phyla in Animalia. suffix is also of Greek origin. "Logy" means "study of." Arthropoda is one of them.

Entomon + logy = entomology, the study of insects Class Insects belong to the phylum Arthropod. This is the There are 4 classes of Arthropoda: large group of animals that are all jointed. Its Greek Crustacea root is arthron, meaning joint. All arthropods have a chitinous (look up its Greek etymology) exoskeleton Myriapoda and a segmented body with pairs of jointed body Chelicerata (Arachnida) parts. Entomologists are individuals who study Uniramia (Insecta) Insecta, a particular class of arthropods.

There are thousands of arthropods. There are many Orders other animals and plants and organisms. A Swedish Insecta is divided into 29 orders. scientist decided that scientists needed a way to organize all species. He grouped them by their simi- Family larity. A plan for classifying is called a taxonomy. The Greek roots for "taxonomy" are taxis, meaning Genera arrangement + nomie, meaning method. Species The largest, or first, division of the taxonomy of life is kingdom. There are five kingdoms: Animalia Most animals and plants are known by their genus and (animals), Plantae (plants), Fungi, Prokaryotae species names. (bacteria) and Protoctista (algae, protozoans, slime Use a capital letter for the genus. Use lower case for the molds). species. Use italics for the pair.

Seen in Silver Spring Insects can be found throughout the world, but we will look for them in Silver Spring. Can you locate the following insects and associated words? Find and circle the items listed. Words run left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top and diagonally. Ant Cranefly Mantis Silver Spring Butterfly Net Cicada Locust Rove Bug Moth Wasp Lady bug Roach Breeze Gnat Tree Pins Beetles Glove Mosquito Buzz Bees Fly Mite Snail Insect TBEZSBREEZEWN BNGZNMOSQU I TO EEMUAYAS ITNAM ETOBI JBDERAHS SITYLFENARCND SMHGUBTSUCOLG BS ILVERSPRING PINSTCROACHCU YPSAWGLOVEEEB LBEETLESEERTY FRCSSTZZGRASD ANTGRASSGREEA BUTTERFLYGRML

For extra credit: Find the first person objective pronoun that also might be seen in Silver Spring.

Meet the Insects Which insect said it? Place the letter of the introduction under the appropriate picture of that insect.

1. ______2. ______3. ______4. ______5. ______

A. Tiger B. Mantispid C. Longhorn D. Damselfly E. Tiger moth Swallowtail This is the beetle When I am a It is difficult to Butterfly second verse of a My ancestors had nymph, I must get some atten- In French I am a poem about me it good. The be careful. Trout tion. There's a papillon, so you written by D. scarab was a reli- like to eat me. I plane and a band should not be Keith McE. gious symbol in swim slowly like named after me. surprised that I Kevan. Can you Egypt. The a fish moving my They are often in am Papilio guess who I am? Tamamushi reli- tail back and the spotlight. I glaucas.I am a quary in a temple forth. I prefer the have to be happy strong flier with "I am" she said, in Japan is clean shallow under your porch distinctive yellow "for I have fed adorned with water of light. If you take and black mark- "When young on 9,000 forewings of marshes, ponds the time to look ings on my spider's eggs, another distant and lakes. When closely, you will wings. My hind- "But now, ancestor, the it’s time to find my distinc- wings end in instead, for daily Buprestid mature, I cling tive markings are long "tails" that bread, "Gnats Chrysochroa onto land vegeta- quite lovely. If some think look catch I with my fulgidissima.I tion as my skin you find me as like the pointed legs—"My claws come to America breaks along my Apantesis virgo, tails of swallows. embedded ’til and they call me a wing case. I have you will love my they’re dead— pest. Some reac- a narrow body coloring. With mantid tionaries even say and fine features, spine-like pegs." I could do more including large damage than but delicate Dutch elm wings. If you go disease, chestnut fly fishing, you blight and gypsy may see me on moths combined. the tip of your I can't help it. I rod. never saw a hard- wood I didn't like.

For more information about the Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, go to To read the entire poem about The Mantispid, go to http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/specie http://www.bugbios.com/ced3/dkmce_kevan.html s/Tigersw.shtml To see pictures of Apantesis virgo, go to To read more about and see great pictures of Damselfly, go to http://bcrc.bio.umass.edu/kunkel/Moths/A_virgo.html http://www.flyfisherman.com/bench/features/07-01damsels/

Academic Content Standards This lesson addresses academic content standards of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Among those that apply are: The main lesson addresses these academic content standards of: Maryland Virginia Washington, D.C. Science Science Science Life Science (3.0): Students will use Living Systems, Grade 5: 5.5 The Life Science, Content Standard 2: scientific skills and processes to student will investigate and Observe, investigate, describe and explain the dynamic nature of living understand that organisms are classify living things; explain life things, their interactions and the made of cells and have cycles, diversity, adaptations, results from the interactions that distinguishing characteristics. Key structure and function of cells and occur over time. Biochemistry: By concepts include systems reproduction, heredity, the end of grade 3, students know interdependence, behavior, flow of ■ five kingdoms of living things; and are able to: 3.3.12 explain that energy and matter and changes habitats provide basic needs, (i.e., ■ vertebrates and invertebrates. over time. By the end of grade 3, food, water, shelter, energy) for the Grade 6: 6.9 The student will the student will use senses and organisms living in them. Ecology: investigate and understand that magnifers to observe and compare By the end of grade 3, students organisms depend on other living organisms; explain that most know and are able to: 3.3.12 explain organisms and the nonliving living things need water, food and that habitats provide basic needs, components of the environment. air; describe how animals eat plants (i.e., food, water, shelter, energy) for Key concepts include: or other animals for food and may the organisms living in them. By the use plants or other animals for ■ producers, consumers, and end of grade 5, students know and shelter and nesting. By the end of decomposers; are able to: 3.5.12 cite evidence that grade 5, the student will explain individuals and groups of ■ food webs and food pyramids; how changes in an organism's organisms interact with each other habitat are sometimes beneficial to Life Science and their environment (i.e., food it and sometimes harmful; observe Life Science standards emphasize a chain, reproduction, and conclude that insects and more complex understanding of decomposition). various other organisms depend on change, cycles, patterns and dead plant and animal material for Environmental Science (6.0): relationships in the living world. Students use scientific skills and food; identify familiar organisms as processes to investigate the LS.4 The student will investigate part of a food chain or food web interrelationships of the natural and understand that the basic and describe their feeding world and to analyze environmental needs of organisms must be met in relationships within the web. By the issues and their solutions. order to carry out life processes. end of grade 8, the student will Interdependence of Organisms: By Key concepts include describe and use the standard classification system used by the end of grade 8, students know ■ animal needs (food, water, gases, biologists. and are able to: 6.8.2 identify and shelter, space); and A complete list of Standards for Teaching and explain the interdependency of ■ organisms within the environment factors that influence life processes. Learning of the District of Columbia Public in a given ecosystem (i.e., LS.5 The student will investigate Schools can be found at producer/consumer, predator/prey, and understand classification of http://www.k12.dc.us/. host/parasite). organisms. Key concepts include A complete list of State Content Standards of ■ differences in number, color, size, Maryland can be found at shape, and texture of external and http://www.mdk12.org/mspp/standards/. internal structures; and ■ variation in method of locomotion, obtaining nourishment, and reproduction. A complete list of Standards of Learning of Virginia can be found on the Web at http://www.pen.k12.va.us/.