Lesson Plan Form s4

Name ______Date ______Class ______Research/Investigate Mealworms Lab (Day 1)

Meet the mealworm. It's the larva (early stage) of the Darkling Beetle. You're more likely to see this insect in an old box of cereal than in the movies. But mealworms can still do some amazing things. First, you will get to know your mealworm and its natural behaviors.

Food: The beetles and larvae eat decaying leaves, sticks, grasses and occasionally new plant growth. As decomposers, they also eat dead insects, manure and stored grains.

Habitat: Mealworms live in areas surrounded by what they eat under rocks, and logs, in animal burrows and in stored grains. They clean up after plants and animals, and therefore can be found anywhere where "leftovers" occur.

Predators of mealworms: Rodents, reptiles, toads, beetles, spiders, fish & birds.

A.) Examine the food chain at the right. (grass > grasshopper > mouse > owl)

Draw your own “mealworm” food chain starting with the sunlight below:

Sunlight

LAB ACTIVITY: STUDENTS WILL BE INTRODUCED TO THE MEALWORM

a) Give the students a mealworm in a container. b) Observe mealworm. You can look at it in or out of the container. c) Next, you'll make your mealworm's habitat. If your mealworm is in the container, gently "pour" it onto a sheet of paper. d) Fill the container about ¼ full of oatmeal and place a piece of potato on top of the oats. Drop your mealworm on top of the oats and watch what happens. e) Record these observations on your lab sheet.

Note: Students will observe and study the mealworm. You will keep your mealworm in its habitat and record what it does every week. How does it change over time? Keep notes in your sketchbook. Name:______

RESEARCH ON MY MEALWORM (Lab 1 Worksheet)

1. Do mealworms have eyes?______How many? ______Where? ______

2. Do mealworms have legs?______How many? ______Where? ______

3. Do mealworms have antennae? ______How many? ______Where?______

4. Do mealworms have a tail? ______How long is your mealworm? ______cm

5. What does it do when you touch it? ______

6. How does it move? ______Does it move quickly or slowly? ______

7. Sketch and label your mealworm container and the mealworm below.

8. Place the mealworm on top of the oatmeal. What does it do? ______

9. What are the mealworm’s basic needs (for survival)? ______Where is your mealworm’s source of water? ______

10. Does your mealworm prefer light or dark areas? Test and explain.______

11. Does your mealworm move faster in the oats or on a sheet of paper? Test and explain. ______

12. Can your mealworm climb the walls of the container? Test and explain. ______

13. Write a question that you have about your mealworm. ______Name:______Date:______

MEALWORM ACTIONS/REACTIONS

1) List one of the senses that you have seen your mealworm use. ______

2) Put your mealworm through the stimulus tests A-G below. Record the mealworm’s reactions in the table. Repeat the same test a second time. A. Touch Test: Use a toothpick to gently touch your mealworm's antennae (the two tiny stubs on its head). B. Drop Test: Carefully pick up your mealworm using a toothpick. Lift the mealworm about 10 cm (4 in.) off the desk. Hold it in the air for 30 seconds, then let it drop on the table top. C. Light Test: Use your cell phone flashlight and shine it on only the front half of your mealworm D. Edge Test: Place a book on your desk. Place your mealworm next to the book's spine. E. Wind Test: Roll up a sheet of paper into a tube and aim it at your mealworm's head. Blow gently. F. Water Test: Wet a small piece of paper towel. Place a dry piece next to it. Put your mealworm in between the two pieces. G. Smell Test: Dip a cotton swab in vinegar, mint, or vanilla extract and hold it in front of your mealworm.

Test Predict what you think will happen in Reaction Result – Second Time each test? Use a complete sentence! Ex: My mealworm will……… A)

3) How do these tests mimic something that could happen in nature? ______

4) Can you think of another stimulus that your mealworm would react to? Check with your teacher before testing it. ______5). Look at the following illustration and draw your own energy pyramid. Where does the sun’s energy fit in? _____ 6). The base (bottom) of an energy pyramid represents which organisms in an ecosystem? a. Producers c. Herbivores b. Carnivores d. Scavengers

_____ 7). ______is the source of energy for almost all living things in the energy pyramid. a. Sunlight c. Soil b. Water d. Food

_____ 8). Organisms that use sunlight directly to make food are called a. Producers c. Herbivores b. Carnivores d. Scavengers

_____ 9). A ______is a consumer that eats plants. a. Producer c. Herbivore b. Carnivore d. Scavenger

_____ 10). A ______is a consumer that eats animals. a. Producer c. Herbivore b. Carnivore d. Scavenger

_____ 11). A ______is an animal that feeds on the bodies of dead animals. a. Producer c. Herbivore b. Carnivore d. Scavenger

_____ 12). Decomposers (like mealworms, bacteria, worms, fungi, and mushrooms) benefit an ecosystem by a. Capturing energy b. Returning nutrients to the soil c. Breaking down dead organisms d. Both (b) and (c)