This exercise was part of a series of original seminars presented 1992-1993 at Illinois State University. The Saturday Science Seminar Series for Elementary Teachers was a program funded by the Scientific Literacy Center, Illinois State Board of Education. The program Director was Dr. Gerry D. Haukoos, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Illinois State University.
Since science is an intellectual processing scheme adapted for human problem solving, children must have an opportunity to develop its schemes early in life. Even though an array of experiences are needed to fully develop appropriate patterns, one group of activities is often absent from the elementary science curriculum--classroom animals. Too often animals that are small enough for classroom rearing are considered bugs, and therefore, they are often discriminated against simply because they're bugs. However, a variety of animals can be reared in the elementary classroom to not only promote science, but also help overcome animal fears by both teacher and students. This series of activities is designed to, (a) provide strategies to care for classroom animals, and (b) provide activities that make use of such animals in elementary-level science.
A large variety of animals can be raised in the elementary classroom to promote student study of science. Some of the primary animals in this packet include:
1. Pill bugs, more correctly called isopods, will be introduced as to their rearing and ongoing care. In addition, exemplary hands-on, data collecting activities will be completed.
2. Cricket care will introduced along with a variety of simple activities to promote interest in life cycles and gradual metamorphosis.
3. Cockroaches will be introduced as easy animals to care for in the classroom as well as exhibitors of gradual metamorphosis activities.
4. Fruit fly rearing and care will be introduced along with activities that contrast the flies with crickets and cockroaches.
Lesson 1 Student Study Aquarium
Lesson 2 Environmental Factors - Isopods
Lesson 3 Flour Beetles
Lesson 4 Green Anole
Lesson 5 Earthworms, Getting Acquainted
Lesson 6 Earthworm Behavior
Lesson 7 Fruit Fly Life Cycle
Lesson 8 Cricket Life Cycle
Nature's Facts and Folklore
1. Using a scissors, remove the top portion of a plastic soda bottle just above the bend toward the lid.
2. Place 3-4 cm of washed sand or pea gravel in the bottle and fill 3/4 full of tap water. Place on a window sill for 2-days to age. Discuss aging of tap water at the next session.
3. Two-days later, measure Anacharis and then anchor in the aquarium sand. Also place other floating plants and snails in as desired.
4. Determine the sex of two or more guppies and introduce at least a pair into the aquarium with a small amount of food. Add thermometer if available.
5. Carefully RECORD observations of the aquarium in a record logbook. Follow with an inquiry discussion.
6. Students maintain aquarium throughout the school year with periodic recording, discussion, and physical maintenance.
1. One person per group obtain 6 isopods from the culture with a plastic spoon and place in the plastic cup. Avoid soil or leaf debris.
2. One person per group obtain a petri dish, black paper, white paper, and a toothpick.
3. First activity: place one-half of the dish on white paper and the other half on the black table top.
4. Upon command, pour isopods in the center of the dish. Use the toothpick to make sure all are turned over. Cover with the lid and place black paper over black side of dish.
5. Record the number of isopods on the light side of the dish at 1, 2, and 3 minutes. Report class data for a large chalkboard table. (Return isopods to holding cup for rest during data tabulation.)
6. Add class data for light side and dark side. Discuss isopod preference as an environmental factor.
7. Second activity: cut a filter paper in half and wet one piece. Place in the dish along side the dry half. Place the dish on white paper for the study.
8. Pour the isopods in the center of dish as before. Record the number of isopods on the wet side at 1, 2, and 3 minute intervals as before.
9. Report class data to the chalkboard table. Discuss the isopod preferences.
10. Discuss how environmental factors become limiting factors for isopod distribution.
1. Place a spoonful of flour culture from dispensing tub into vial.
2. Using the hand lens, carefully study the beetles and record your observations. A diagram of an adult may be useful.
3. On a regular basis (once or twice a week), record observations of the culture and food supply.
4. Periodically discuss the environment and the nature of the beetles.
1. Place the soil and plants in a 10 gallon aquarium with a hardy stick for anole basking.
2. Place the anole in the terrarium making sure it has a tightly screened lid.
3. Provide crickets or an occasional mealworm as food.
4. Mist plants daily or as needed for anole water.
5. Students observe and record food catching, change in color, and eye movement over time.
1. Teams of students to be given--culture, wet paper towel, toothpicks, Q-sticks, and hand lens.
2. Get acquainted with the earthworms in the culture box using a finger (if possible) to search them out. Do not remove from the culture--only get acquainted.
3. After getting acquainted, wet a paper towel and carefully remove and place one earthworm on the towel.
4. Fold part of the towel over the earthworm and let it adapt to the new environment. Repeat on occasion while you study to reassure and to keep the skin moist.
5. Observe with hand lense and your other tools--wet Q-stick, toothpick.
- How does it move? see enemies or light? backup?
- Record in space below.
6. Return to temporary culture box.
7. Conduct a go-around discussion placing student findings on the chalkboard.
1. Working in pairs, get a cup with a mixture of earthworms and soil. Pour on a paper plate and study with a hand lense. Record your observations.
2. Select one large earthworm and remove it from the others for study as below:
a. Mist a plate of glass and place the worm on it. Record how it moves, muscles and segments, and the pattern it leaves on the glass. Do they have legs? Feet? Arms? Hands? Antennae?
b. Compare how they crawl on a paper towel with how they move on glass. Try other papers also.
c. Draw your earthworm recording both external and internal anatomy. Look through the skin to identify internal anatomy.
3. Obtain 4 paper plates:
a. Cover one plate with 1 cm+ of soil. Partition your plate in half with a piece of cardboard, then heavily mist one half. Place two earthworms on the wet-dry line and cover with another plate. In several minutes uncover and record which side the earthworms are on--wet or dry? Repeat the process two or three additional times. Record the results.
b. Repeat the setup from (a), however, replace the dry soil with sand. Heavily mist both sides equally, then do your counts as before.
4. Report team observation data to a class chalkboard table.
Tally for the class and discuss which surface is preferred:
- Wet or Dry?
- Sand or Soil?
- Why?
1. Place 3-4 apple cores in a small bottle with a tapered neck.
2. Place the bottle in a location where fruit flies may be seeking food, e.g., near a kitchen sink or trash. This is best during the warmer months of the year.
3. If the bottle is placed on its side the collected flies will not escape when you cover the hole.
4. When you notice flies on the fruit, cover the hole with a piece of Kleenex. Place a rubber band over the Kleenex and around the neck of the bottle. Clip the overflow.
5. Set aside and observe the larva and pupa (complete metamorphosis) attached to the bottle sides in a few days. Soon the population will double and triple until they destroy their environment.
1. Pass out crickets (one per petri dish) to every other student.
2. Ask inquiry questions such as:
a. What kind of animals are these?
b. How many legs do they have?
c. How many body regions do they have?
d. Other body parts, etc.
3. Provide students a handout of common insect orders, and then have them decide which order they match.
4. Pass out another insect (in dishes) that shows the same life cycle stages, e.g., coach roaches. Are these crickets? Comparative discussion.
5. Bring all latter insect dishes to a cleared area at the center or front of the room and place on the floor. Gather around and discuss:
a. How many different kinds are here?
b. How are they all alike/different?
6. Match and put in order as different stages of the same insect. This will demonstrate gradual metamorphosis.
Many beliefs about animals are based on facts while others are merely falsehoods passed down from one generation to another. Even in these days of sophisticated technology and expanding knowledge many of these falsehoods still persist. Listed below are beliefs that are held to be true. Do you know which ones are falsehoods? Try this quiz and test your knowledge.
T F 1. Toads cause warts.
T F 2. Snakes bite and sting with their tongues.
T F 3. Snakes that are constrictors crush their prey to death.
T F 4. Honey bees die after stinging.
T F 5. Wood ticks are capable of burrowing into a person's body.
T F 6. Wood ticks are most commonly found in grass areas.
T F 7. A porcupine can shoot its quills.
T F 8. Opossums play dead to escape their enemies.
T F 9. Woodchucks are wood eaters.
T F 10. Beavers are wood eaters.
T F 11. Bats are blind.
T F 12. Bats frequently become entangled in women's hair.
T F 13. Bears are not true hibernators.
T F 14. Raccoons do not always wash their food.
T F 15. A bull will always attack objects of red color.
T F 16. Some birds have teeth.
T F 17. Snake holes are made by snakes.
T F 18. Dragonflies are harmless to people.
T F 19. Only female mosquitoes bite.
T F 20. Owls and cats can see in total darkness.