Bug Scope

Bug scope Beetle Picture  This is the back of the beetle.  It’s clear from looking at the beetle that it has some imperfections.

On-line Beetle Picture  This is the online beetle I found.  It’s a dung beetle.

Before & After Bug Scope  After looking at on- line pictures and bug scope pictures I have found that my picture is incomplete.  My beetle should have two more legs and its head should look almost separate from its body.

Beetle Information  Beetles are fascinating creatures. They can live both on land and in fresh water habitats. They can be found under logs, inside caves, in decaying plant and animals matter, water, and even in stored food. Beetles can be both herbivores and carnivores. Many beetles are scavengers. They eat what they find. Whereas other beetles are specific to either plant or animal feeding.  Beetle species differ in the way that they reproduce. Some simply lay their eggs under a leaf, while others construct nests underground. It is thought that the female is attracted to the sent that the male leaves. Mating is usually a short process, but can last several hours. During the mating process, also known as pairing, the sperm cells are transferred to the female egg.  Beetles have many devises at their disposal for defense against predators; mimicry, camouflage, toxicity, and active defense. Some beetles resemble wasps in body shape and color. This prevents predators from attacking these beetles. Other beetles are able to release toxins that make them poisonous or tasteless. Many beetles simply blend in with their surroundings. Where others use their body to fight off predators who may cause them harm.  Any interesting fact to know: there are more known species of beetles than plants, approximately 350,000.

NSES & Technology  Select science content and adapt and design curricula to meet the interests, knowledge, understanding, abilities, and experiences of students. (NSES)  Teachers can use bug scope for all different abilities and grade levels. It’s important for teachers to modify the difficulty of the lesson depending on the student. For instance young students would not be able to explore and ask questions on their own. The teacher would have to walk them through the bug scope lesson.  It’s important to use technology in the classroom because it is becoming more and more accessible and useful in today’s world. Students need to be able to type as well as know how to use a computer to receive jobs and further their education.  In a bug scope lesson students learn communication skills as well as how to operate a bug scope, using only a computer.

Literature Sources

Other Curriculum  The bug scope lesson could be applied to a literature lesson on descriptive words.  The students would have to write a few paragraphs using the photos and only descriptive words.  The bug scope could also be used in a scaling lesson.  The students would have to use what they know about the magnification to decide how large or small the bug parts actually are.  They could even make a human size version on the bug seen on the bug scope.