Thursday
Bug Olympics
TEKS:
Materials:
·
Hangers
(2 per student)
·
White
canvas like material (1/2 yard per student)
·
Dowel
Rods (1/2 inch diameter, 1 per student)
·
Fine
mesh screen material (1 sq.ft. per student)
·
Utility
stapler
·
Tape
·
Garden
Spade
·
2
plastic butter containers
·
Stopwatch
·
Tape
measure
·
Hissing
Cockroaches (1 per group of three students)
·
Grasshoppers
caught earlier in the day
·
Beetles,
Ants, or other running insects
·
Plastic
(butter) containers with ventilation holes for Olympic Contestants ( 2 per
group of three students)
·
Petri
dish
·
String
·
Pennies
·
Hot
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
·
Markers
·
Triple
Beam Balance
·
Rulers
·
Paper,
Pens, Pencils
Overview:
·
Pitfall
trap
·
Make
Beat sheet
·
Bug
Collecting for Olympics
·
Discuss,
measure, weigh insects, Olympic predictions
·
Bug
Olympics
·
Make
Aquatic Catchers
Activities:
Activity
1: Pitfall Trap
·
Review
bugs previously caught in a Sweep Net and Aspirators.
·
Introduce
Pitfall traps and discuss bugs that can be caught in them.
·
Use
a small amount of white material and a piece of dowel rod to make flags that
will be used as markers for the pitfall traps.
·
Make
pitfall traps. (outdoors)
·
Class
chooses two locations for pitfall traps.
·
Dig
a small hole with garden spade to fit the size of butter container that you are
using. Fit butter container in hole. Do not use lid.
·
Mark
pitfall traps with flags.
·
Leave
trap outside for several hours.
Activity
2: Discussion on Beat sheet safety and correct usage.
·
Areas
for usage include trees, bushes, and vines.
·
One
student holds beat sheet level to ground under designated area.
·
Second
student beats tree with dowel rod.
·
Observe
types of insects collected.
Activity
3: Make Beat Sheet.
·
Bend
wire hangers into a squared off “U” shape.
·
Give
each student a square of material.
·
Students
trace hanger shape onto material with marker.
·
Students
cut “U” shape leaving at three-inch border on the outside of the drawn pattern.
·
Using
a hot glue gun the teacher will glue edges of material around wire frame.
·
This
will create a square or rectangular beat sheet.
·
Teacher
may want to cover sharp ends of hangers with plastic tips or clay balls.
·
Using
leftover material make a pendant or flag to personalize beat stick (dowel rod).
·
Students
decorate with markers and tag their beat sheet.
Activity
4: Collect Bugs for Bug Olympics
·
Discuss
criteria for Olympic Contestants
·
Each
group of three students needs to collect several grasshoppers as candidates for
Olympics.
·
Each
group of three students needs to collect several large running insects.
(Beetles, true bugs, etc.)
·
You
may use your Beat sheet or Sweep net to catch insects.
·
Collect
insects outside and place in ventilated containers.
Activity
5: Weigh, Measure, and make Olympic Predictions
·
Students
Weigh and Measure each eligible contestant.
·
This
activity should be done in the groups of three earlier assigned.
·
Use
Ziplock “snack bag” to weigh and measure individual insects.
·
Record
data of insects on paper.
·
Compare
insect statistics and Choose competitor.
·
Using
recorded data students compare insects to find desirable characteristics.
·
Students
choose the best Grasshopper and running bug to compete for their group in the
games.
·
Release
extra insects.
·
Put
aside Olympic contestants for later use.
·
Introduction
and Distribution of Hissing Cockroaches
·
Familiarize
and allow children to get comfortable with the handling of roaches. (These
roaches do not carry disease or fly.)
·
Discuss
origin and anatomy of roach.
·
Discuss
Cockroach pull (Olympic Event).
·
Distribute
roaches randomly, one per group.
·
Weigh
roaches and record data.
Activity
6: Bug Olympics
·
1st
Event :Monster Hissing Cockroach Pull
·
Children
carefully tie string around the thorax region of the roach.
·
Then
securely attach other end of string to bottom of petri dish with tape.
·
Use
long table and mark starting line with masking tape.
·
Put
roaches on starting line.
·
Allow
roaches to start pull with empty petri dishes.
·
Every
inch moved, add 1 penny.
·
Winner
is the roach who has pulled the most pennies
·
*****Note:
Untie roach as it drops out of race.
·
Compare
weight pulled with the weight of each roach.
·
2nd
Event :Grasshopper Long Jump
·
Teams
place chosen grasshopper on starting line that is marked on the floor. Grasshoppers should be cupped in hands.
·
Open
hands and allow grasshopper to jump.
·
One
team member marks the first landing site.
·
Measure
and record distance jumped.
·
Winner
is the longest jumper.
·
Compare
distance jumped with the length of the grasshopper’s body.
·
3rd
Event :Run, run as fast as you can!
·
Teams
Beetles or other running insects on starting line on table. (You will need a
marked finish line one-foot from the start.)
·
Let
insects Go!
·
The
winner is the first one across the finish. (stopwatch available for neck and
neck races.)
· Compare insect legs to the time of finish.
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