Ladybugs!

1. Ladybugs! The Real Life Version My Drawn Version Mary Frances Egart EDUC 140 Fall, 2008

2. Fun Facts about Ladybugs Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybird beetles, belong to the Coccinellidae family of beetles. They are a great friend among gardeners and farmers because they are the natural enemy of insects that damage crops, such as aphids and other sap feeders. There are nearly 6,000 species of ladybugs. Adult ladybugs have dome shaped bodies, shiny wing-covers, six tiny legs, and antennae. Their wing covers range from dark, reddish-orange to pale yellow, with or without black spots (some can be solid black or black with a red spot). The head is concealed from above. They begin as larvae, which look completely different from adult ladybugs . They are long, slightly flattened, and covered with tiny tubercles or spines, resembling tiny alligators with orange spots. They go through a metamorphous to take on the appearance we associate to ladybugs. Ladybugs are often found in gardens and parks, where plants and trees are common. They are most common during the summer and even late into autumn. In the autumn they crawl to wintering sites where a few to several hundred will gather in an aggregation usually located at the base of a tree, under a fallen tree, or under a rock for protection from winter temperatures. http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef105.asp http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2002.html

3. I Added: • Symmetrical Spots • I tried to change the color because they do not always have to be red with black spots; they can also be pale yellow-orange, bright read-orange. • I f could have removed the spots, I would have because they do not have to have spots. • Six legs. • White spots on either side of their eyes. • Dimensions of about 6 mm long and 5 mm wide.

4. Bugscope Ladybug Eye, 1,410X Ladybug Palp, 817X Ladybug Ladybug Claw, 500X

5. Information Learned from Bugscope • Although we were not able to look at ladybugs in our Bugscope session, I was able to learn a lot about them through the Bugscope website. I was able to see pictures taken through another group’s session of Bugscope where they were able to dissect a ladybug. In the pictures on the previous slide, the eye appears to be similar to the eye we saw on the mosquito. Ladybugs have two compound eyes. Another picture I found on Bugscope was of a ladybug leg. I was able to learn that they have six jointed legs that are segmented. Finally, I found a picture of a magnified ladybug palp. I learned that a palp is a sensory organ for ladybugs that looks like a second pair of antennae.

6. The NSES Content Standard that this activity applies to is Content Standard B. Content Standard B requires teachers to focus and support inquiries while interacting with students, orchestrate discourse among students about scientific ideas, challenge discourse among students about scientifuc ideas, and encourage and model the skills of scientific inquiry. The Bugscope activity is a great way to meet this standard because it allows the students to be able to control the microscope and ask the questions to the experts, while the teacher can have a chance to guide and challenge the content from the classroom. Also, the teacher can get involved and ask questions and be a model for the students, showing enthusiasm for the activity. • Allowing student to operate the microscope from their own classroom is a very authentic way of getting the students involved. The students also have the ability to get involved in the discussion by being able to post their own questions where they have the access to experts within seconds. This is a great way that the students can get the practice of inquiry-based learning through authentic means of technology. • One literature source I could connect to Bugscope is, Face-To-Face with The Ladybug by: Valerie Tracqui. This book is a science book for young children that allows them to explore the life cycle of ladybugs through simple text. Another great literature source would be National Geographic. This magazine provides thousands of articles about animals, different environments, and different people and has articles on bugs and insects including ladybugs. A final literature source that would be great in connecting with Bugscope would be Nature Upclose: A Ladybug’s Life by: Children’s Press. • One subject that this activity can connect to is Reading. The students can carry over their knowledge of ladybugs from Bugscope through reading such fiction books as The Grouchy Ladybug by: Eric Carle. The Bugscope activity can also be carried over into Art class where the students can have the chance to create their own ladybugs out of their own creativity using different materials such as clay, paper, or even paper-maché. The knowledge of the structure and appearance they gained from Bugscope would be a great way to connect to their creations.