Mealworms

=Life Cycle= 4-20 days until eggs hatch 12-54 days as larvae pupae for 3-30 days adults for about 80 days = = =Investigation 1, Lesson 1: Mealworms Introduction= Prep: Learning Targets:
 * get wheat bran and potatoes
 * Label cups for each group
 * Make culture for the class with bran and some potato and half the mealworms
 * Get mealworms ready (separate the mealworms from the medium, 8 mealworms per cup, put some bran in and a tiny piece of potato)
 * get class calendar ready for tracking mealworms’ development
 * list long-term learning targets for students to rate themselves (see assessment planner)
 * 1) I can list what insects need to survive.
 * 2) I can observe and describe insects’ bodies and behavior.
 * 3) I can treat living things with care and respect.

Procedure: i. Make sure they mention food, water, air, and space: food is the bran, water comes from the potato, air comes from the holes they will push with the pushpins, space.
 * 1) Introduce unit: entomology = the study of insects.
 * 2) Where have you seen insects? How did you know they were insects?
 * 3) read over long-term learning target chart and have students rate themselves on each target using sticky dots (beginning, know a little, know some, expert)
 * 4) Introduce mealworms
 * 5) Safe to touch
 * 6) Talk about how to treat living things and refer to the learning target
 * 7) How do we hold them? How do we make sure they don't fall? What should we never do to them?
 * 8) You will be investigating and observing the mealworms to discover as much as you can about them over the next few months.
 * 9) Students go to tables and observe mealworms in cups. They can hold them or not, as they choose.
 * 10) Hand out hand lenses and paper plates for continued observation.
 * 11) Ask everyone to turn cups upsidedown over the mealworms on their desk and come to the rug to talk.
 * 12) Share observations / questions. What did you notice? What do you wonder?
 * 13) Each table will put together a cup for the mealworms to live in.
 * 14) What do you think they need to live? As they list ideas, put them on the board. Then highlight the 4 needs (food, air, water, and space) Explain the set up of the cups and how they will get each of the 4 things.
 * 1) Students put about an inch of food in the bottom of cups.
 * 2) No water is necessary. (they get it from the potato)
 * 3) Punch 25 holes in the lid with a pushpin for air.
 * 4) Cup will provide space.
 * 5) Return completed cups to central location. Show them the group mealworm jar. Mark the date we started them on the calendar.

=Investigation 1, Lesson 2= Mealworm Larva’s bodies Materials:
 * Mealworms
 * Cups for each student
 * Hand lenses
 * class observation chart (behaviors, structures, changes for mealworms)

Learning Target:
 * I can observe and describe insects’ bodies and behavior.
 * I can make a detailed, accurate scientific sketch with accurate labels.

Procedure:
 * Connect today's learning targets to the long-term targets. Which long-term targets are we working on if we are working on the mealworms' bodies?
 * Tell the class you will be making a whole-class sketch of a mealworm larva’s body. Ask how you should start. What shape should it be? What else does it need on its body?
 * Get into some disagreements, such as how many segments the body has, or where the legs go. Leave these blank on the drawing.
 * Send students back to observe the mealworms and discover the answers to some of these problems. Encourage them to talk to people at their tables about what they see. They make their own sketches if they would like.
 * Return to the rug and add to your drawing, including everything the students have noticed.
 * Share any other observations and add to class chart of mealworms.