Bugscope! Amanda Lloyd Professor Korb Education 140 March 1, 2007

General Information and Initial Drawing Ladybugs, which are also known by the name of lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are very interesting insects. They are usually found with bright colors, which is said to warn other animals away. As well, they emit “an odorous, noxious fluid that seeps out of their joints when the insects are disturbed” (Bessin). As predators, they eat aphids mainly, which are plant lice, although they will also consume soft-scale insects, mealybugs, and spider mites. As well, a ladybug’s life cycle is quite rapid, and while it depends on the supply of food and the weather patterns, usually the life cycle is about six weeks long (Lyon). During their short life span, ladybugs usually move to aggregation sites during the autumn, such as at the base of a tree, under a rock, or leaves so as to protect themselves. They tend to prefer more mild and constant climates and you can also find them on the sunny side of your house.

Ladybug Images From BugScope Ladybug EyeLadybug Face (from underneath)

Internet Pictures Picture from:

Images Compared There was quite a difference, as you are able to tell in the initial drawing of the ladybug I did before I came to class and some of the images I have since found online from Bugscope and other internet sources. My drawing was quite a bit more cartoonish, as the features I saw from Bugscope of the ladybug were much more detailed, as it was a much, much closer view of the insect. You can see in some of the Bugscope pictures just how intricate the body of a ladybug is. In particular, while we were not able to view the ladybug in our session, some of the features that I noticed in the pictures that I did find were really similar to some of the features I noticed during our session. For example, many of the insects had satae on their eyes. When we asked what purpose this served, we were told that it helped guide the insect directionally, particularly when they were flying. I assume this is very similar to the purpose it serves for the ladybug, as you can see in the picture from Bugscope, that they have same satae that exists on the eyes of other various insects. I believe, however, that this can simply be summarized as an activity that was useful in helping me see just how generalized I view things to be at times.

National Science Education Standards Content Standard C: Students should develop understanding of the characteristics or organisms. Bugscope connects well with the National Science Content Standard C for the levels of K-4 because it shows students on a much more detailed level, the characteristics of organisms. The organisms in this activity happen to be insects, but none-the-less Bugscope shows kids a more detailed view of characteristics of organisms that they would otherwise not ever know about. For instance, during out Bugscope time, we saw satae and portions of the eyes of insects that we never knew existed. Not only did we learn that these characteristics existed, but we learned their functions and purposes as well. We learned for instance that flies have little satae on their eyes which help them sense direction when they are flying. In this instance students are not only learning the characteristics of an organism, but they are learning how different characteristics aid different organisms in their lifestyles.

Technology In Action I find the use of the microscopes and the ESEM’s to be one of the most interesting aspects of Bugscope as well. It gives the students complete control really, which allows for a lot of authentic learning to take place. It does this because it sets the learning in the hands of the student, and it does so in a way that is engaging and helpful in various ways. If for instance, a teacher were doing a unit on learning how to use a microscope, this type of activity gives a lot of authenticity to the idea. This could be something you begin the unit with to give students an idea of just how amazing this technology can be, while still teaching them how to use it and what it’s real purpose is. As well, if you just got done with a unit on insects, doing this activity with kids is also quite useful. It takes all of the characteristics of insects that they were lectured to about or read about in their textbooks, and puts it right in front of them so they are able to really view all the things they have learned about, not to mention that they are learning about it with such an authentic technology. Bugscope is a great example of how to use technology in the classroom, but not expecting technology to teach the students. Here, students are not simply reading from a website and seeing some cool pictures of an insect. In Bugscope, they are actually active participants from the start to the end. They send in their own insects, view what they sent it, and are able to ask questions to things they find interesting. Thus, the authenticity of this project, and the numerous ways in which you could apply Bugscope to other curricular areas or activities makes it a useful and viable endeavor.

Further Literature Connections Everything Bug: What Kids Really Want to Know About Insects and Spiders by Cherie Winner –This book may be a supplement to Bugscope which kids could refer to for unanswered questions. This may help them synthesize both information they learned from Bugscope and that which they read about insects and spiders so that they can correctly connect physical features with an insect’s life. Pet Bugs: A Kid’s Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects by Sally Kneidel –Perhaps for keeping a class pet after an insect unit, Bugscope would help educate young children on some of the needs for life that insects have based on their physical characteristics that are often overlooked. Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders by Jinny Johnson –Discusses closely related features of insects, such as the ones we saw in Bugscope, like the eyes and the satae to help them navigate.

Bibliography 28 Feb Bessin, Ric. Ladybugs. University of Kentucky Entomology. 16 Feb Lyon, William F. Lady Beetle. Ohio State University Online. 16 Feb