Teacher Preparation:
- Gather materials for mealworm containers. Prepare the individual containers with bran flakes or oatmeal, pieces of potato, and one mealworm. Use labels on the containers so that each student in the class can identify their mealworm. Identify and prepare a place in the classroom for the insects to live. Avoid areas with direct sun, air vents or cold drafts.
- Collect assorted photographs of arthropods from magazines or books.
- Take care when guiding and directing discussions (particularly in Closure Activity) about sensitive experiences that may surface when talking about feelings.
- Gather remaining materials and books (see Bibliography).
Materials:
- Mealworms (one for each child in the class) and several replacements
- Small plastic containers with lids, labelled with the students' names
- Bran flakes or oatmeal
- Pieces of potato or apple
- Hand lenses
- Labels or markers for writing on each container
- Photographs of arthropods (from magazines or books)
- Jerry Pallotta, The Icky Bug Alphabet Book; Margaret Graham, Be Nice to Spiders; Hans Christian Anderson, The Ugly Duckling.
- Any supporting fiction and non-fiction literature that may not have been suggested in the bibliography.
Mealworm Information Sheets
Mealworm Rearing Sheets
|
