Transcript Weeds and Weevils Lesson Plan for 7th grade

Developed by INSTAAR (Timothy Seastedt, Emily Krall,
David Knochel) in collaboration with BVSD teachers Kim
Greene and Dan Tomlin at Manhattan Middle School
 Life cycles of plants
 Dalmatian Toadflax
 Spotted Knapweed
 Life cycles of insects
 Mencinus janthinus
 Larinus minutus
 Interaction between the life cycles of plants and insects
 Advantages:
 Uses local examples
 Eliminates hard to
manage development of
caterpillar
 Eliminates coordination
of Fast Plant growth
with the caterpillar
 Replaces with easy to
store and use
plant/insect dissection
 Highlights current CU
science research
 Introduces the
environmental threat of
non-native invasive
species
 Discusses the strategies
of land management,
including biological
controls
 Lesson 1.1
 Introduction to topic
 Lesson 1.2
 Dissection of dandelion
 Lesson 1.3
 Review HW assignment
 Life cycle card game
 Lesson 1.4
 Knapweed and toadflax dissections
 Introduce students to the life cycles of plants and
insects and how they interact
 Venn diagram
 Students discuss their findings in table groups
 Discuss the area where plant and insect cycles overlap
 Introduce term “invasive species” to students
 What is an invasive species or weed?
 Discuss characteristics of an invasive weed: large seed
bank, can survive with few resources, etc.
 Dissect dandelions
 Identify parts of the plant: root, stem, leaves, flower,
seed
 Make scientific drawings, give opportunity to look at
plant under microscope
 Review “invasion of the soil grabbers” homework
assignment
 Look at graph results on projector, discuss what the
graph shows
 Life cycle cards
 Students put cards in order of insect and plant life cycles
 Discuss mistakes that students make and describe
correct order
Non-native invasive annual grasses and forbs
16.0
% of ground covered
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
 Dissect Knapweed seed heads
 Find Larinus minutus insects in the seed heads
 Identify different stages:
 Larvae, pupa, adult
 Dissect Dalmatian Toadflax stems
 Find Mencinus janthinus
 Identify different stages:
 Larvae, pupa, adult
 Debrief dissections
 Reiterate how plants and insects coexist and need each
other to survive. Also review life cycles of both.
 Discuss the potential negative impacts of biological
controls and why these examples are scientifically sound
 Tested in a lab for 5 years before introduced, first introduced
in a closed environment, host-specific to knapweed and
toadflax
 Be sure students understand the environmental
consequences of invasive species
 Average Pre-test Score: 8.48
 Average Post-test Score: 10.80
 Average Change: 2.33
 Average percent increase in score: 16%
 Range: 11% to 23%
 Improvements…
 Insect life cycles
 Adaptions for other grades…
 What did you learn?
 “I learned that invasive plants are steadily rising in
growth each year”
 “I learned that some insects live in plants.”
 “I learned about the insect and plant life cycle.”
 “I learned that beetles inside invasive plants are killing
the plant and eating the inside.”
 Emily Krall—Outreach Coordinator at INSTAAR
 [email protected]
 Kim Greene—Science teacher at Manhattan Middle
School
 Kim.greene @bvsd.org
 Dan Tomlin—Science teacher at Manhattan Middle
School
 [email protected]