Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

 

Legacy of a Pest encourages students to explore a biological problem and its impact on society and the environment. It introduces the fascinating world of entomology, demonstrates why and how one insect (the gypsy moth) can have such a profound impact on the urban and natural forest environment, and suggests how the effects of the gypsy moth can be minimized through sound management practices. Further, the principles of thoughtful decision-making stressed in this package are applicable to a wide range of environmental, economic, and social problems.

Although our primary goal is to provide information about the gypsy moth, the more than fifty activities in this guide cover a broad range of topics including the abundance and diversity of insects, insect classification and identification, urban and natural forest ecology, and integrated pest management. We have tried to develop a holistic approach to the study of taxonomy, ecology, and pest management while using the gypsy moth as the demonstra­tion organism. This strategy meets our goal of establishing an information base on the gypsy moth in Illinois and will, we hope, provide science educators throughout the state with useful classroom activities on entomology, ecology, and pest management.

Although Legacy of a Pest can be used independently, we have de­signed it primarily to supplement existing materials on insects and ecology. The activities were written for students in grades 5 through 10. Some are certainly more suitable for older students and others are clearly more appropriate for younger students, but most can be adapted for a wide range of grade levels. Teachers, of course, are the best judges of whether their students have the background to complete a given activity successfully.

Each of the twelve sections deals with a specific topic, as summarized below. Certain sections are of general interest, others deal specifically with the gypsy moth and explore the concept of integrated pest management. Each section begins with an introduction that clarifies the importance of the section and provides background information. Additional information can be found in references cited within activities or in the bibliography at the end of the guide. Sections can be used independently of each other; the only prerequisite is that students have the appropriate background to understand the concepts introduced.

The sections are briefly characterized as follows:

1. Insect Awareness: students become aware of the astonishing number and variety of insects in the world.

2. Definition of Insects: students examine insect anatomy and learn the unique characteristics of insects.

3. Insect Abundance: students are introduced to the reproductive potential of insects and learn to sample for insects in the field.

4. Food Webs: students become familiar with food webs, the trophic structure of communities, and the role of humans in the food web.

5. Taxonomy: students acquire and use scientific nomenclature, assemble an insect collection, and identify specific orders of insects.

6. Insect Development: students are introduced to the two types of insect development—simple and complete metamorphosis—and to the relationship between form and function in insects.

7. The Gypsy Moth: students become familiar with the history of the gypsy moth in the United States, study its life cycle and dispersal methods, and discover why it has become a major pest.

8. Gypsy Moth–Forest Interactions: students learn the food preferences of the gypsy moth caterpillar and the effect of the gypsy moth in the forest ecosystem.

9. The Urban Forest: students distinguish between urban and natural forests and learn the importance of diversity of species.

10. Pheromones and Detection: students learn how pheromones can be used to detect and trap gypsy moths.

11. Chemical, Cultural, and Biological Controls: students are introduced to various control methods used against insect pests, discover how resistance to pesticides develops and secondary pests emerge, and learn the importance of persistence and selectivity in pesticides.

12. Integrated Pest Management: students become familiar with the concept of integrated pest management and with the decision-making practices used in managing insect populations.

Each of the more than fifty activities that make up the twelve sections is listed in the table of contents. Each includes an in­structional objective, the skills and processes emphasized in the activity, a list of materials needed to complete the activity, a de­tailed procedure for carrying out the activity, and a suggested evaluation. Vocabulary to be introduced and comments to the instructor are provided in some instances. Some activities rely on student handouts, and copies suitable for reproducing are in­cluded. A glossary of the vocabulary introduced in the activities is found at the end of the guide as is an appendix with instructions for constructing a sweep net, killing jars, and spreading boards.

 

Legacy of a Pest: A science, technology, and society curriculum guide for understanding and dealing with biological problems (book with poster). A set of 30 posters and one book is also available. Click to see the poster.
Click for information about odering book with 1 poster.
Click for information about ordering the set of 30 posters.