Mandi Davis Educ140

House Fly Initial Drawing In my initial drawing, done without looking at any pictures or photographs, there are a lot of inaccuracies. Certain body parts, like the wings and abdomen are the wrong shape or size. I was unsure where the legs should sprout from or if flies even have antennae. However, the basic concepts are present- three body segments, wings, compound eyes, and hair on the body.

House Fly Post-Lens Drawing After examining a house fly under a hand lens and a dissecting scope, I was able to add more detail to my drawing, increasing the number of hairs on the body, correcting the wing shape and adding more pronounces veins. Using these technologies sharpened what my eyes could see.

The Common House Fly Scientific name: Musca domestica Linnaeus The house fly is 6 to 7 mm long, although females are usually larger than males. They can be distinguished by the amount of space between the eyes- in males, the eyes almost touch. House flies are always found in association with humans or activities of humans. They originated in central Asia, but is now found in all inhabited continents, in all climates and in a variety of environments, rural and urban. House flies undergo a complete metamorphosis with distinct egg, larva or maggot, pupal and adult stages. Over a three to four day period, each female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in batches of 75 to 150. Adults usually live 15 to 25 days, but may live up to two months. Without food, they survive only about two to three days. Scientists have calculated that a pair of flies beginning reproduction in April may be progenitors, under optiminal conditions and if all were to live, of 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 flies by August.

Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me Despite being considered pesky, flies can also transport disease- causing organisms. When excessive fly populations occur where there are nearby human habitations, a public health problem could arise. Types of pathogens flies carry include viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes. Of particular concern is the movement of flies from animal or human feces to food that will be eaten uncooked by humans. Information found at:

Bugscope House Fly Using the electron microscope was incredible. Being able to focus in so closely on specific features like legs or eyes or hair folicles gave us the opportunity to see details too miniscule for a normal microscope to catch. It allowed us to see just how complex the makeup of a bug or insect is. This image shows a house fly head and mouth parts.

NSES Standards Science as Inquiry (K-12) Understanding of scientific concepts. An appreciation of "how we know" what we know in science. Understanding of the nature of science. Skills necessary to become independent inquirers about the natural world. The dispositions to use the skills, abilities, and attitudes associated with science. Using Bugscope touches on many of these subsets of Science as Inquiry. Using ESMS technology helps students see “how we know” what we know about insects and things too small for them to see. It helps them pose questions about why certain bug features exist and inquire about the natural world.

Technologies Using Bugscope was a very authentic use of technology because we communicated with real scientists, receiving immediate responses to challenging questions, and because we were able to personally manipulate the microscope, choosing the subject matter and the focal point. It was also an authentic activity to compare the abilities of dissecting scopes with those of the ESMS technology. Students can see first hand how magnification affects the image available.

Curriculum Connections Bugscope can be connected to a variety of other curriculum topics: The intense magnification used in the ESMS technology could help students grasp the concept of molecules and particles or even be used to discuss electrons and protons, things too tiny to see with our eye, just like the bug features explored. It could also connect to a health lesson, using the study of certain bugs, like the house fly, to jump into a discussion on sanitary conditions and pathogens. Students could participate in a bug nature walk as well, using their observation skills to find and record information about the creatures in their area. They could then research a specific bug and present it to the class.

Literature Connections NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIRST FIELD GUIDE: INSECTS focuses on six-legged creatures and spiders. It offers easy-to-read text and more than 450 color photos and illustrations. Each spread includes a large photo of a perfect insect specimen, some fast facts about the featured creature, a handful of comments about "what to look for," and information about the insect's size, habitat, and range. THE BEST BOOK OF BUGS (Kingfisher, 1998) covers all the bug basics. Students will travel to a host of habitats as they discover the bugs around them, above them, and beneath their feet. Illustrations provide students with a bugs-eye view of insect life near the pond, in an ant colony, and inside a beehive. JANICE VAN CLEAVE'S INSECTS AND SPIDERS is a book of activities and experiments involving bugs,from making bug catchers to using paper tubes and straws to model grasshopper eyes.