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TE PAPA PRESS TEACHING NOTES

The Genius of Bugs Simon Pollard

They may be small, they may be creepy, but bugs have super-sized powers! Meet a roll call of some of New Zealand and the world’s most incredible bugs – from the cunning portia to the killer brain-surgeon jewel . The Genius of Bugs is a new, fresh take on bugs, packed with tales, facts and figures that showcase bug ingenuity and reveal astounding bug behaviour.

Specifications

IMPRINT: Te Papa Press CATEGORY: Children’s non-fiction PUBLICATION DATE: December 2016 ISBN: 978–0–9941362-1-3 RRP: $24.99 PAGE EXTENT: 32 pages, portrait FORMAT: Paperback SIZE: 270mm x 210mm ILLUSTRATIONS: Full-colour throughout READERSHIP: 6+ Simon Pollard is a successful children’s book author, spider expert and natural history writer. Currently Adjunct Professor TEACHING NOTES INCLUDE: of Science Communication at the University of Canterbury, • 7 Before-reading questions Simon is the author of the award-winning I Am a Spider (Reed, • 29 Close-reading questions 2004) and I Am an (Reed, 2002). He is a frequent • 8 Language and style questions contributor to Natural History (US), BBC Wildlife (UK), New • 34 Activities and creative responses Zealand Geographic and Nature magazines and across a range of curriculum areas has worked as an advisor and script writer for many natural (Literacy, Numeracy, Science, Social history documentaries, including The Hunt (BBC, 2015) and sciences, the Arts, Technology and Planet (BBC, 2006). His book Dear Alison (Penguin, Physical education and health). 2009) won the 2010 Children’s Choice Award for non-fiction at the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards and the 2010 LIANZA Elsie Locke Award, Non-fiction Book of the .

Te Papa Press PO Box 467, Wellington 6011, New Zealand Email [email protected] Phone +64 (0)4 381 7470 www.tepapapress.co.nz 3. Predict how, and in what ways, you think ‘the Due to new technology we now know how use teamwork to take on a formidable world of science peeks into the world of bugs’ Imagine you are a bug living predator and why pollinating in a bug world, where a blade can’t resist flying into the of grass is as tall as a tree! All arms of the orchid mantis. We around you are bugs with secret (p. 5)? also know why dragonflies are weapons on search and destroy four times better than lions at missions. Lurking behind every catching prey and how a leaf are mini masters of disguise sets off an explosion in its bottom waiting to catch you out. Some to defend itself. perform gruesome brain surgery 4. What other informal word does the author while others do acrobatic flying tricks. The world of bugs is full of extraordinary bugs doing use for ‘bugs’ (p. 5)? extraordinary things!

What these critters do is really clever. The genius of bugs is revealed through their use of Bugs have been on earth for S weapons, feats of engineering, almost 400 million . They scams and deception, and Uwere here before the dinosaurs incredible teamwork beyond and are still here, 65 million your imagination. When the years after dinosaurs became WEAPONS: world of science peeks into the extinct. Recently, scientists world of bugs, it’s impossible have been able to unravel not to admire what these some of their amazing secrets genius bugs are capable of. and talents to discover how 5. What is the definition of a ‘predator’ (p. 6)? incredible bugs really are. 5 What do you call the opposite of a predator?

4 G B 6. What weakness makes it necessary for the bombardier beetle to protect itself with a Before reading: ‘toxic spray’ (p. 6)? 7. How does the bombardier beetle manage to 1. What do the front and back cover pictures remain unharmed by the deadly chemicals it indicate about the book’s content? produces (p. 6)? 2. What does the title suggest to you? 8. Why are the X-ray machines scientists use 3. Who do you think the readership of this book to see inside the bombardier beetle so will be? expensive (p. 7)? 4. Brainstorm and discuss what you know about 9. The Southeast Asian spitting spider uses its bugs. as a weapon (p. 8). Why and how does it do this? 5. What is the scientific name that could have been used in the title instead of bugs? Why 10. Where are the glands which store the silk and do you think the author made this vocabulary glue found in the Southeast Asian spitting choice? spider (p. 9)? 6. In the title, the author used the term ‘genius’. 11. Why do adult male ant-mimicking jumping Find out the dictionary definition of the word have to stab their prey with their ‘genius’. Why do you think the author chose to fangs, rather than inject (p. 10)? use this word in the title? 12. What does the author refer to as a ‘first-rate 7. Read the author’s dedication (p. 2). If you bug weapon’ (p. 11). Find three examples of wrote a book, to whom would you dedicate it how bugs can store and/or use this weapon. and what would the dedication say? ENGINEERING: 13. Make a list of the facts which relate to the Close-reading questions: ‘marvel of miniature engineering’ that is the dragonfly (pp. 12–13)? INTRODUCTION: 14. What is the reason for scientists being 1. How long have bugs been on the earth (p. 4)? unable to make ‘a tiny that can fly like How does this compare to how long a dragonfly’ (p. 12)? have been on the earth? 15. How does the jewel wasp manage to turn 2. What does the author compare a a live into a ‘perfect ’ dragonfly’s hunting prowess with (p. 5)? What (pp. 14–15)? does this help us infer about the dragonfly 16. What is the moss piglet’s ‘secret’ and how and its hunting skills? does this secret work in their favour (p. 16)?

2 17. What product does the author compare ‘the sticky glue droplets or a tangle of silken threads’ of spider webs to (p. 17)? What does Language and style: this tell us about the webs? 1. What do you think the genre of this book is? 18. How many types of silk can spiders spin, and List the aspects that are indicative of this what are some of the different jobs the silk is genre. used for (p. 17)? 2. How has the author divided this book thematically? What are the themes? Find an DECEPTION: example of a bug from each of the book’s 19. What are some of the tactics a portia jumping themed sections. spider uses to outwit its prey (p. 18)? 3. On the front and back covers of the book, the 20. How does the author describe what the ‘very author has used adjectives to describe five well camouflaged’ portia looks different bugs. What is an adjective and what like as it stalks other jumping spiders (p. 19)? is its purpose? List the adjectives the author has chosen from the bugs on the covers. 21. In which ways is the orchid mantis ‘one of the Choose two more bugs for the book and think best scammers in the bug world’ (p. 20)? of a suitable adjective for each. 22. What is the reason for some female fireflies to 4. Figurative language is used to convey ideas become ‘tricky cannibals’ (p. 22)? that might otherwise be difficult to express. 23. Why do some bugs use camouflage (p. 23)? A simile is an example of figurative language. Find two examples from this page. Examples of this are ‘the venom is injected into the prey’s body, just like a needle that doctors use to give injections’ (p. 11), or ‘it’s as TEAMWORK: if they have built a firefly lighthouse in a tree’ 24. How do the Japanese honey bees work (p. 22). Find two more examples of figurative together to stop their enemy, the Japanese language used by the author in the book. giant hornet (pp. 24–25)? 5. What figure of speech are ‘fang fighter’ (p. 10) 25. How many honey bees can a hornet kill within and ‘team of tiny tailors’ (p. 26) examples of? a three-hour timeframe (p. 25)? Find some other examples of this figure of 26. How do weaver ants work together to make speech from the book, and create your own their ‘ball-shaped nest’ (pp. 26–27)? for five other bugs from the book and/or ten 27. What part of the body do scientists other letters of the alphabet. think the mounds act like and why (p. 28)? 28. How do termite soldiers warn the if Ant-mimicking jumping spider Bees and use venom to defend they have detected a threat (p. 28)? themselves and to paralyse prey. The venom is injected through a found at the back of the . When you are stung by a or a wasp it is very painful. This is because the Weapons chemicals in the venom trick your brain into thinking the sting is far worse than it really is.

Fang fighter NEW ZEALAND BUGS: When wasps Can you imagine spiders having sword fights? One jumping spider sting, they has two genius tricks: it looks like an ant to fool predators that have release a Venom chemical that Venom is a first-rate bug learned ants don’t make good snacks, and the males grow huge alerts other 29. What are the three New Zealand bugs fangs that they use in sword fights to defeat their rivals. wasps to join in weapon and is used in both the attack. attack and defence. All jumping spiders have excellent eyesight. When two male ant-mimicking Spider fangs mentioned (p. 29)? Note down one jumping spiders spot each other, they BUG Surprisingly, tarantula venom is not very dangerous for people. In Almost all spiders use venom walk towards one another and unsheathe FACT! most cases the bite has less effect to paralyse or kill their prey. than a wasp sting. People just think their long sword-like fangs. Then the Venom is stored in venom glands battle begins. They wrestle with their When the adult males grow their tarantulas must be very poisonous interesting fact about each of the three bugs. because they are so large! inside the spider’s head. A duct long fangs, they cannot inject fangs, until the weaker one is defeated runs from the glands to a small venom into prey. There is no and retreats. This contest of strength is a opening at the tip of each fang. longer a connection between the When the spider sticks its fangs competition for mates. A female is more tips of the fangs and the venom likely to choose a male who wins sword into the body of its prey, the glands inside the spiders’ fights rather than one who runs away! heads. Instead, they have to stab venom glands are squeezed and the venom is injected into the 10 their prey with their fangs. prey’s body, just like a needle that doctors use to give injections.

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3 3. The author asks the reader to ‘imagine you BUG FACT!

Engineering are a bug living in a bug world’ (p. 4). Write a The stinger used by the jewel wasp to perform brain surgery wasp on the cockroach is only one-twentieth of a millimetre in Jewel diameter. That is half the diameter of a human hair. short story, descriptive paragraph or poem Killer brain surgeon

All bugs need a safe place to lay their . The jewel wasp’s from the point of view of one of the bugs perfect nest is inside a live cockroach. Unfortunately for the cockroach, this requires a spot of in the book, for example, the bombardier very precise brain surgery. How does a jewel wasp turn a cockroach into a perfect nest? By injecting venom very carefully beetle with its ‘boiling hot mixture of deadly To make its nest, the jewel wasp into two parts of the cockroach’s paralyses the cockroach and turns it brain, the jewel wasp turns the into a zombie home for its eggs. This cockroach into a zombie. The venom may seem rather gruesome to us! But makes the cockroach: chemicals’ (p. 6), or the moss piglet surviving inside the cockroach, the jewel wasp lose the desire to run away hatches in a warm, safe place (although it could if it chose to!) where there is a ready supply of food. clean itself over and over to in space ‘without a space suit!’ (p. 16). Imagine The wasp grows bigger and once remove any bacteria that could it has eaten the cockroach insides, it harm a growing jewel wasp egg spins a cocoon inside the cockroach’s hollowed-out body. Good for the The wasp can’t see inside tamely follow the jewel wasp to a how your chosen bug feels, lives and behaves — not so good for the the cockroach, but its safe nesting place. jewel wasp The jewel wasp pulls the stinger has special sensors 15 cockroach! A month later a beautiful on its tip that allow the wasp cockroach by the jewel wasp emerges. A female jewel to find the right parts of the like a dog on a leash! brain to perform surgery on. wasp will look for a cockroach, just as in its environs, as it navigates this amazing its mother did.

14 and dangerous world. 4. Choose one of the photographs from the 6. The book contains a glossary (p. 32). Discuss book as inspiration for a poem. Choose a what the purpose of a glossary is and how form of poetry, such as a rhyming ballad, a it aids the reader. Using the information in concrete or shape poem, a limerick, a haiku or the book as inspiration, create an illustrated a list poem. sentence for five of the words found in the glossary. 5. Use the information about the various bugs that you have learnt from the book to create 7. The book contains an index (p. 32). Discuss your own ‘genius’ bug. Create an illustrated what the purpose of an index is and how it entry for a junior level encyclopedia about aids the reader. Choose one of the words in your bug. Include facts about its physical the index. In pairs, have a race to see how appearance, natural habitat, food, calls, quickly you can find the information on the enemies, special talents, how to hunt it, etc, correct page relating to your chosen word. as well as a story, myth or legend about it. 8. Do you like the design and layout of the Or, using the same design and layout as the book? Why or why not? In pairs, choose book, create a double-page spread about one page you could redesign. Discuss the your bug. changes you would make. Think about the 6. Imagine you are a nature journalist colours, fonts, placement and layout of specialising in . Find out if there the information. are any unusual bugs endemic to your local area. Research and write an article about one of these bugs. Present it in a newspaper Activities and or magazine article format, including creative responses: photographs. 7. Choose your favourite photo from the book LITERACY – ENGLISH and find the source from the ‘Image Credits’ 1. Look at the four themed sections – weapons, section (p. 2). Use an internet search engine, engineering, deception and teamwork – such as Google, to find out any possible found on the contents page (p. 2). Divide information about the photographer. Then the class into groups and get each group write a short biography on the photographer to create a Venn diagram based on one of and their work. the sections to compare and find similarities 8. Choose one of the ‘Bug Fact!’ sections as between humans and bugs. inspiration to write, illustrate and bind a story 2. Choose your favourite section from the book about the bug fact as a children’s picture to summarise. Present your summary in a book. Read your book to a younger year level poster, PowerPoint presentation, pamphlet or in your school. video format to your class.

4 9. List what you think are the ten most 16. Choose one of the bugs from the book interesting facts from the book. Share your and sketch it using scientific drawing facts with a classmate. See if they have techniques, such as having a title, scale, similar facts. labels, stippling, etc. 10. After a close reading of the book, choose 17. Use the book as inspiration to investigate a your favourite section to write your own bug found in your local area. Next, using the comprehension questions about. Then information you collected, design and create create a quiz of ten questions based on your a suitable and ethical bug habitat in which findings. Ask a classmate your quiz questions. the bug could live. 11. Author Simon Pollard is a spider expert and 18. Create your own ‘genius’ bug in order to natural history writer. Imagine you have create an entry for the ‘Genius bugs close- invited him to your school as a guest speaker. up’ section of the book (pp. 30–31). Present Write out ten interview questions to ask him your bug’s statistical information using the about his life and career, the writing of the same design, layout and ‘actual size’ diagram book and/or bugs. featured in the book. 12. Review the book for your favourite magazine 19. Choose two bugs that are endemic to or website. What do you like about the book? New Zealand in order to create entries. Why? What do you dislike about the book? 20. In the ‘Genius bugs close-up’ section of the Why? Consider the design, photographs, book, a language is used when categorising information and writing style. Also include bugs’ families and (p. 31). What your personal opinion of the book and the language is used? Why is it used in this age group you think it is suitable for. Give it a context? Investigate, learn and converse rating, such as stars or a number out of ten. with your classmates using some common phrases found in this language. NUMERACY – MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Scientists have discovered that the irresistible BUG flower-like colours that are seen by pollinating

13. Create a statistical enquiry based on FACT! insects are colours that our eyes cannot see. Deception information about bugs taken from the book Orchid mantis Flower power or those found in your local area, such as, how Many praying mantises look like flowers — they are camouflaged and vegetation so they can’t be seen by other insects. do the lifespans of the different types of bugs The orchid mantis from Southeast is one of the best scammers in the bug world. It may look like an insect in orchid disguise to us, but to a pollinating insect relate to their size (pp. 30–31). Present your it looks like an irresistible treat. In the late 1800s, a travel writer wrote about seeing an incredible orchid flower BUG findings in the most appropriate statistical that ate flies. He did not realise the FACT! ‘flower’ was in fact an insect called an With excellent eyesight The orchid mantis is the and large spiny front legs, orchid mantis. Until recently, people only animal known to mimic which are perfect for thought the orchid mantis mimicked a complete flower. grabbing prey, the orchid format, for example, bar graphs, dot graphs, mantis welcomes visitors an orchid so it could fool predators and with a deadly embrace. pollinating insects, like bees and flies, into A bee flying towards the thinking it was a flower. It even has lobes orchid mantis may think it is about to have a tummy pie charts, etc. on its legs that look like flower petals. full of , but the mantis is about to have a Now we know that because of how it is tummy full of bee.

coloured, to a pollinating insect the orchid 21 mantis looks even more attractive than 14. Find and note down any numerical facts a real flower. Could you resist a giant praying mantis that looked as if it was made of jellybeans the size of balloons? about the bugs in the book to create a 20 mathematical bug fact book. You could take Japanese inspiration from the book and divide it into BUG FACT! Quivering balls of death Scientists use themed sections, such as strength, size, a special probe Japanese honey bees, like many bugs, live together to measure the temperature inside in social groups. The bees use clever teamwork to Teamwork stop their enemies the Japanese giant hornets from the ball of bees. The speed, temperatures, population size, etc. raiding their nest and destroying their colony. lethal temperature for the hornet is Japanese giant hornets target honey bee 2–3 degrees lower than for the bees. because they contain a huge buffet of baby bee The bees stop food for the hornets’ hungry babies. The hornets the temperature are a huge threat: they are five times the size getting any higher, of Japanese honey bees, and bees cannot sting so they don’t cook or bite them. themselves. SCIENCE When a scouting hornet finds a nest, it leaves a chemical scent that tells other hornets to come to the nest. The honey bees near the entrance of the hive smell the chemical and summon about 100 bees to rush out and tempt the hornet to 15. Choose two of the bugs from the book to chase them back into the nest. Now it’s time for BUG the bees to start what is called ‘heat-balling’. FACT! About 300–500 bees cover the hornet to make investigate further. Find out about their a ball of bees. By shaking their bodies, the bees Japanese honey bees increase the temperature around the hornet until also shake their it is cooked to death. Once the hornet is toast bodies to warm their nest to a cosy and the bees have removed the scent it left to temperature for natural habitats, food, predators, etc. Present attract other hornets, the nest is safe. their young. A ball of bees engulfs a 24 Japanese hornet scout. Hornets are a huge threat 20–30 hornets can kill 30,000– your findings to your class. honey bees in three hours. 25

5 27. Choose some interesting information from SOCIAL SCIENCES the book, for example, how the backside 21. Choose five bugs from the book to research. blaster of a bombardier beetle works (p. 7) or Present where they are all found by locating how weaver ants work together as a team to them on a map of the world. In small groups, make a nest (pp. 26–27). Present your chosen choose one of these bugs and investigate bug-related information in a user-friendly, the country in which it is found. Learn and step-by-step instructional cartoon or story converse with your group members using board format. some common phrases in the language of 28. There are many bugs in the book. Get one that country. student to choose a bug to describe using 22. (EOTC opportunity). Visit a museum and/or only three statements. As a class, try and zoo to find out which native bugs inhabit, or guess which bug has been described. once inhabited, your local area, country and/ 29. Using the drama convention of ‘hot-seating’, or continent. Write an illustrated report of in pairs, choose one of the bugs to embody, your findings. Present it to the class. as well as its predator or victim, for example 23. Imagine you are the travel writer from the late the jewel wasp and the zombie cockroach. 1800s who unwittingly stumbled across the Get the class to ask questions about what Southeast Asian orchid mantis (p. 20). Write it is like to be the predator and prey, your a travel article about your trip and discovery. relationship as bugs and how you feel about Think about the style, vocabulary and format each other. that an article written in this period of history 30. In groups, choose and adapt bugs from the might use. book for a puppet theatre performance 24. Choose one of the bugs from the book. in your classroom. Devise a script, create Imagine that your chosen bug has become scenery, choose music and make puppets to an endangered species. Design and create represent your bug characters. Act out your a campaign to draw attention to your bug’s . If you have access to a video plight. The campaign could include elements camera, record it. such as pamphlets, posters, slogans, etc. 31. Design a ‘wanted poster’ for one of the deadly Remember to use persuasive language, as bugs, such as the jewel wasp (p. 14–15). well as describing the steps supporters Include a picture of the bug, describe its could take to help ensure your chosen appearance, what its prey is and how it kills it, bug’s survival. as well as where it is found.

THE ARTS TECHNOLOGY 25. Use another medium, for example, drawing, 32. Design and create a board or computer painting, sculpture or photography, to create game about bugs. Write interesting bug your own artistic interpretation of one of fact question cards and/or directions on the the bugs from the book. For example, create board spaces to help the game progress, a weaving of a staircase spiderweb (p. 17), for example, ‘You work together to defeat a collage of the Japanese honey bees the hornet. Move forward three spaces’, or (pp. 24–25) or a sculpture of a mountain ‘You get trapped in a spider web. Miss a stone wētā (p. 29). turn’. Make playing pieces in the shape of 26. Choose one of the bugs from the book to some of the bugs found in the book. Create investigate further. Find out where it lives. a pamphlet explaining the rules and how to Create a diorama of your chosen bug’s play it. Create your own advertising/marketing natural habitat. campaign for your board or computer game.

6 BUG Teamwork Weaverant FACT! Weaver ants have very Awesome jaws strong jaws and can slice through our skin. Just to Weaver ants work as a team of tiny Weaver ants in a row use their make sure we know to stay jaws and legs to hold two leaves tailors to fold and stitch leaves together away, they spray formic –sized nests. Each together ready for gluing. to make rugby ball acid into the wound to make it even more painful. nest is like an ant-filled dormitory, and all the dormitories in a colony stay in touch with each other to keep safe.

To start building a nest, a worker stands on a leaf and reaches to grab the edge of a nearby leaf. If it can’t reach, it holds another worker by its narrow waist Weaver ants can lift and lifts it into the air like a ballerina. Soon, 100 times their own a chain of ant ballerinas reaches towards weight, even if they are the leaf until it can be grabbed and the hanging upside down. ants pull the two leaves closer together. Once the edges of the leaves are touching, become staples, using their legs and jaws to keep the leaves— in ant place. larvae At BUG dusk, the glue guns arrive FACT! –shaped held in the jaws of workers. The workers A rugby ball weaver ant nest. use their antennae to tap the larvae on A colony of weaver ants 27 their heads, which makes them secrete silk can have 500,000 ants that binds the leaves together. The ants living in 100 nests. continue building until the leaves they’ve joined and glued form a ball-shaped nest.

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The campaign could include elements such as pamphlets, scripts for radio jingles and television commercials, posters, slogans, etc. Remember to use persuasive language. 33. In groups, imagine you are a television production company attempting to gain financial backing to create a nature television documentary show about bugs in your local area. Write up and present your proposal to the class. Include information such as your choice of title music and credits, presenter, show name and content, preferred channel and time slot, location, etc. For ideas, study nature documentaries on bugs.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 34. Adapt the game ‘Seaweed’ to make it bug related. For example, the students being the seaweed could be portia jumping spiders and the students trying to get past are the spiders’ prey, as they practise fundamental movements, such as dodging, ducking and weaving.

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