(Activity) Entomology Science Project - HOW DO CATERPILLARS CHOOSE THE RIGHT LEAVES TO EAT IN A BIG, GREEN WORLD?

Open Opportunity

About

Welcome to the Online Education Resources page! Please feel free to access this page to find educational videos. You don’t even have to have an account to sign up! Below you will find a description of one of the videos – if it sounds interesting, please register (using the green button on the upper right hand corner of the page), answer a couple quick questions, and the link will be sent to you!

Resource Description:
Target group: Students in grades 4-10 Project question: Your parents taught you not to touch poison ivy leaves, nor to eat smooth red berries (etc.) because they are poisonous. But what about small caterpillars, which do not get instructions from their parent moths or butterflies? How can they select the food that is best for them?

Observations and reflections: In our gardens and back yards we can observe that an insect eating one kind of plant will leave other kinds of plants alone. We can also see that if we remove a caterpillar from a plant that it is eating and place it on a different plant species, the caterpillar may not eat the new plant. Why is this? Do caterpillars evaluate their food options before chowing down? Maybe eating right is important for all organisms, including small mammals and insects, just as it is for humans. We know that humans use vision, smell and touch to select good food, but what do caterpillars use?

Hypothesis-formation: A plant that a caterpillar likes to eat is called a host plant for that insect. If we give a caterpillar a choice between a host plant leaf and a non-host plant leaf, which will caterpillar choose? A hypothesis is a prediction of what you think will happen which you can test with an experiment. For example, “Caterpillars will feed on both plants.” Now you make a hypothesis and write it down. What do you think will happen?

Materials (backyard version): Before you begin, collect the following supplies: 2  1 to 3 Caterpillar(s). It’s best to have 2 or 3 of the same kind of caterpillar.  One fresh leaf from the plant the caterpillar was feeding on. This is the “host plant.”  One fresh leaf from a non-host plant (a different plant species from the host plant). Ideally you want the non-host plant leaves to be from a different plant family to make sure they are unrelated. If you don’t have any experts or science teachers to help you, try this rule: if the host plant is a tree leaf, take a weed leaf as the non-host plant (or vice versa)  One shallow bowl or round lid with tall edges. Should be flat and about 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter at the bottom, and tall enough on the sides that caterpillars can freely walk around on the bottom when the top is covered.  Plastic wrap.  Hole punch.  Scissors  Water  Paper towel  Paint brush (for moving caterpillars if they are really small) Once you have all these supplies, you may follow the procedure!
Positions
Many
Registration
Opens Apr 5, 2020 3:00pm
Age Limit
All Ages
Social
Conferencing Link
Sustainable Development Goals
GivePulse
0 Positions Filled | 0 Impacts | 0 Hours