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Arthropod Behavior Inquiry By Eric Renfro

Objectives:

Given living arthropods, students will:
1) Research husbandry techniques
2) Develop and implement environments for a chosen arthropod
3) Observe/research behavior of the chosen arthropod
4) Develop an ethogram for the chosen arthropod
5) Design a question/hypothesis utilizing observations from ethogram and research
6) Design and implement a behavioral experiment
7) Display experimental design, results (table and graph), and conclusions in the form of a poster board

List of National Science Education Standards with Insect Connectors/strands

· Molecular Basis for Heredity: Insects have a high reproductive rate that can demonstrate various laws/principles of genetics.
· Biological Evolution: Many morphological, behavioral, and ecological interactions of insects can generate ideas about and discussion of evolution.
· Interdependence of Organisms and Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems: our spineless friends drive the flow of energy through various ecosystems.
· Behavior of Organisms: Behavior can be observed easily in a classroom environment.

Previous Student Learning/Mastery

1) Experimental design
2) Poster board display
3) Science process skills including table/graphic display
4) Internet experience

Resources

Web Sites and References for Information and Supplies
1) http://insected.arizona.edu/rear.htm
2) www.petbugs.com
3) www.bioquip.com
4) www.sasionline.org
5) www.manducaproject.com/
6) www.wardsci.com/
7) www.carolina.com/
8) The Pet Arthropod Page: www.key-net.net/users/swb/pet_arthropod/
9) Pet Arthropod Links: www.key-net.net/users/swb/pet_arthropod/links.htm

Materials

1) Various plastic containers for arthropod environment design (99 cent store, Target, Smart & Final…)
2) Glue gun
3) Soldering iron
4) Substrate materials such as soil, moss, newspaper…
5) Dechlorinating agents
6) Arthropod/invertebrate stock (dependent on availability and time of year):

Aquatics

a) Giant Waterbugs (Belostomatidae)
b) Dipteran larvae
c) Dytiscids
d) Beetle larva
e) Odanata larva
f) Nepids

Terrestrial

a) Isopods
b) Cockroaches
c) Mantids
d) Ladybugs
e) Spiders
f) Ants
g) Termites
h) Lepidoptera
i) Flies
j) Wasps
7) Poster boards/ display boards
8) List of Internet sites for husbandry and behavior
9) Food for arthropods (fish food, crickets, potato, cornmeal, mealworms…)
10) Various screen and mesh materials

Timeline (Modifications May Be Required Depending On Class)

Day 1
1) Display arthropod choices
2) Either give the freedom of choice or assign specific arthropod to each individual/group (group size of 2-4 students). Class dynamics/organization will determine strategy.
3) Explain first objective
4) Begin Internet search : What can you learn about "your" arthropod species-life cycle, habitat, behavior, diet.

Day 2
1) Meet in computer room
2) Continue search/research
3) Rubric design for information sheet
4) Develop informational sheet for your/group arthropod
5) Begin visual design for your/group arthropod enclosure

Day 3
1) Meet in classroom
2) Groups will construct a visual design of enclosure before actual implementation
3) Design check
4) Begin enclosure building

Day 4
1) Complete enclosure building
2) Insect housing and feeding
3) Explain behavioral list and provide ethogram example
4) Begin behavioral checklist

Day 5
1) Design ethogram
2) Construct ethogram
3) Utilize ethogram to quantify frequency of specific behavior

Day 6
1) Develop questions utilizing ethogram or other observations
2) Individual/Group will decide what question will be investigated with teacher approval (due the following day)

Day 7
1) Experimental design. A written procedure as well as a visual representation must be presented to teacher before experiment can be attempted
2) Journal rubric development
3) Begin experiments
* Variables being tested and experimental design can change # of days that need to be implemented for experiments

Days 7-10 (more or less)
1) Collect data in individual journals
2) Begin table and graphic analysis

Days 11-14 (more or less)
1) Rubric design for poster boards
2) Poster board design
3) Teacher approval
4) Construct poster board

Days 15-16
1) Individual/group presentations
2) Teacher evaluation with rubric
3) Students will also utilize the same rubric to evaluate each other.

Milestone Assignments

Arthropod Information Sheet (35 points per person)

· Scientific and common name: Kingdom, phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and species
· Life cycle
· Photo or photos of invertebrate
· Habitat
· Diet
· Researched behaviors
· Diagram/photo with legend and purpose of design

Journal (80 points for every individual/group member)

· Daily care of organisms: water/misting, feeding times and dates…
· List of observed behaviors
· Ethogram prototype
· Ethogram recordings
· Questions for possible investigation
· Question chosen for investigation
· Experimental design
· Recorded data from experimental design (tables, dates, and data…)
* Individuals/groups will design/decide on a rubric for the journal and information sheet. The categories provided could be added to depending on the decisions of the students.

Poster Presentation (160 points per individual)

· Content (25 points)
1) Conveys a clear message
2) Stands alone, independent of verbal explanation
3) Contains accurate information

Organization (25 points)
1) Exhibits a logical and explicit sequencing of ideas
2) Enhances communication of content

Conventions (25 points)
1) Exhibits care resulting in a neat, attractive product
2) Includes titles/labels/legend when appropriate

Impact (25 points)
1) Attracts and engages viewer's attention
2) Uses color, graphics, lettering for maximum impression
3) Exhibits some originality

Task-Specific Criteria (60 points)
1) Data presented in tabular and graphic form
2) Visual experimental design
3) Introduction, materials, procedure, conclusions references
4) Group Oral presentation
* This can be a separate rubric. See Neurology Culminating Task lesson. Check the dissemination rubric.

Sample Ethograms