The Fly

Head of a Housefly (Bugscope)

Using the ESEM (Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy) in the classroom By using the environmental scanning electron microscopy and the mirror microscope, students can learn by doing the experiment hands-on. As said before, it keeps the students interest on a high level. The students can feel as if they are scientists who have actually done the research and they are analyzing their data.

Anatomy of the Fly

Anatomy: Like all insects, the house fly has a body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), a hard exoskeleton, and six jointed legs. Flies also have a pair of transparent wings. The house fly can taste using its its feet and with its mouthparts. Adults are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch ( mm) long with mm wingspan. House flies are dark gray, with four dark stripes down the top of the thorax. They have sponging mouthparts (they cannot bite); house flies can only eat liquids, but they can liquefy many solid foods with their saliva.

Reproduction of the Fly Reproduction: The complete life-cycle of a house fly takes from 10 to 21 days. On the average, 12 generations of house flies can be produced in one year. Adult females lay tiny white eggs, usually in manure or other warm, moist, decaying organic matter. A female lives for about 2 1/2 months and can lay up to 1,000 eggs in her short life. The eggs are only about 0.04 inch (1 mm) long and hatch into white, worm-like maggots in about 12 hours. The maggots grow to be about 1/2 inch (12.5 mm) long. When they are this big, they burrow into the ground to pupate. An adult will emerge in about 5 to 6 days (in warm weather) or about a month (in cold weather).

There are other subjects besides Science (Art) Using bugscope can be used with other subjects other than science. As being my favorite subject in school, I will link the pictures of the bugs to an art project. –I would require the students to use the pictures of the bugs to create a city where humans live. Students will have to make the city out of recycled material from the schools dumpster.

There are other subjects besides Science (English) Another subject where the bugscope activity can be linked to is creative writing. –Students will have the chance to create a story that describes their journey from one end of the picture to the other end. They will have the chance to make up animals, plants, and even other people. Since it is all up to the students, their interest level will be at an all-time high.

Bottle Fly - Housefly

In-Class Investigation

Drawing The first drawing on the right is a picture of a housefly. (Before any investigation on a fly) The second drawing on the left is a picture of a bottle fly. (After investigating the fly)

National Science Education Standard Structure and Function in Living Systems Exploring different organisms by observing their structures and functions is one of the NSES standards. Students can learn the different parts of the insect by actually seeing a real insect up close. In the bugscope experiment, students can feel that they are actual scientists because the insects used in the experiment are their own. This may help the students become more interested in the actual procedure.

Different Species of Fly House Fly Flesh Fly Cluster Fly Fruit Fly Stable Fly Deer Fly Black Fly Blow Fly

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