Entomologist for a Day

Grade Level 2^nd–4^th

Lesson Overview

This is a two-part lesson where students will become entomologists for a day as they study a ladybug’s habitat, diet, life cycle and behavior.

Lesson

Set the Stage

Ask the students if they have ever heard of the word “entomologist”? Explain to them that an entomologist is a scientist who studies insects. Today they are going to become entomologists. They will be studying the fascinating insect, the ladybug. If you have access to a computer projector, share the ladybug pictures from the following website with the students: http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/lady/

Discussion

Group Activity

There are so many interesting things we can learn about ladybugs. We are going to divide up into four groups. Each group of entomologists will have a specific topic about a ladybug they are studying. You will spend the first part of the lesson studying about your section today. Tomorrow, we will get together as a class and your group will teach the other students about your topic.

Divide the students into four groups:

Have the students move their chairs so they can sit near their group members. Each student will receive a handout to read on their topic: Anatomy(PDF – 231k);Diet and Habitat(PDF – 138k);Interesting Facts(PDF – 139k);Life Cycle(PDF – 222k).They should be encouraged to highlight facts that they think are important. After each group is finished reading, they should discuss the information amongst their peers in their group. Each group will decide what the class needs to know about their topic. They may use markers if needed to make the poster colorful and draw pictures.

Part 2

The teacher will hand out a Look What I Learned About Ladybugs (PDF – 143k) worksheet to each student that is to be filled out during the presentations. They will have to pay close attention to each group so they have their handouts filled in correctly. Encourage the students to ask questions to the groups when they are finished with their presentations.

The teacher will decide which group should go first. Each group will take turns presenting the information on their poster. The groups should ask the remaining students if there are any questions at the end of their presentation. The students should be reminded that they will need to pay close attention to each group so they can fill out their sheet. At the end of each presentation, allow the students a few minutes to fill in the answers on their sheet before the next group presents.

After the presentations, collect the worksheets.

Individual Activity

Each student will need one piece of notebook paper and a pencil. Write on the board… “What makes a ladybug so unique?” and tell the students to write a paragraph answering the question. They should include as much information as possible.

Assessment

Cooperation during activity	15%
Presentation participation	15%
Handout completion	30%
Final paragraph	40%
Final lesson grade	100%

Extension activity #1: Order a ladybug habitat kit from www.stevespanglerscience.com. Your students will love observing the ladybug lifecycle live as the larvae turn into real ladybugs. This is an inexpensive way to get the students excited about science!

Extension activity #2: Play “Aphid Eater” game at the following website http://sv.berkeley.edu/showcase/flash/ladybug.html. Another online ladybug game can be found at the following site http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/bugs/index.htm#

Extension activity #3: Estimate—How many ladybugs will fit inside a gallon bottle? Have the students write down their estimates and give a prize to the student with the closest answer. Correct Answer—80,000.