Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Science

TITLE:    Buggy Diner

AUTHOR:   Rosina L. Phillips, Sierra Vista Elementary,
          Las Vegas, New Mexico

GRADE LEVEL:   3-5

OVERVIEW:  Not all insects eat the same foods.  Some like to
eat the leafy parts of vegetables and some like the roots.
Some insects prefer other insects!  In this activity
students will construct an insect diner and serve food
samples to the invited insects.

PURPOSE:  Because of existing environmental conditions and
pesticides being used, it is important that students learn
that there is a natural way to control insects in a garden.

OBJECTIVE(s)  Students will be able to:
1.   Identify 10 common garden insects.
2.   Identify 3 garden plant leaves.
3.   Identify 3 garden plant roots.
4.   Demonstrate the feeding preferences of some common
     garden insects.
5.   Identify insects they would encourage or discourage to
     be in their garden.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
1.   10 plastic petri dish covers.
2.   10 garden insects.
3.   3 plant leaves from garden.
4.   3 plant stems from garden.
5.   Journals.
6.   Jar with air holes.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1.   Collect a variety of plant leaves and roots from the
     garden.
2.   The day before activity, collect a variety of common
     garden insects, place in a jar with air holes.
     DO NOT FEED
3.   Turn each of the petri dishes upside down.  Place 3
     leaf and 3 root samples around the edge of each dish.
     It is important that they be the same size in order to
     get accurate results.  Label the samples.
4.   The "diner" is now open for lunch.  Choose one of the
     insects from the jar.  Place the insect in the petri
     dish.  Observe the insect every 2-3 hours to see what
     the insect is munching.  Record the results in your
     journal.
5.   Repeat the activity with other insects.  Record the
     results in your journal.
6.   Students may also place two insects in each petri dish
     to observe if preference in "diner" may be another
     insect.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  If insects eat the same plants that
we eat, we wouldn't want them in the garden eating our food.
If they did not like a plant, could you use it to protect
the plants we eat?  Were there insects that ate plants we do
not want in the garden?  If there are insects that eat other
troublesome insects, can we find a way to encourage them to
stay in the garden?

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