Download This Lesson: A Pest by Any Other Name
Brief Description: Students use critical thinking skills and conduct research on alternative methods to pest management. They will observe, graph, and interpret data while learning the role that insects play in nature. Students will also compare pests that are harmful and pests that are helpful.
Focus Areas: Pest Control: Biological; Environmental Science, Language Arts
Focus Skills: critical thinking, conducting research, observing, graphing, interpreting data
Objectives
- To explore human attitudes toward “bugs”
- To understand the role insects play in nature
- To examine helpful and harmful pests and pals
- To devise alternative methods, other than chemicals, to control pests
Essential Questions
- Of what use are insects?
- How are these pests currently controlled?
- Is there a safer way to control pests?
Essential Understandings
- There are many ways that insects are useful to us, such as pollinating plants, controlling pests, and providing food for other animals.
- Insect pests may be controlled with mechanical devices, using beneficial insects (biological control), sanitary practices, and chemical applications.
- Many pests that bother humans could be controlled to a greater degree with alternative methods other than chemicals that persist in the environment.
Background
It used to be that when people had a problem with insects, they used poisons right away to control them. Chemical pesticides seemed like the fastest and easiest solution to a pest problem. Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, made people aware for the first time that these chemicals can have terrible side effects on all living things. Some chemicals kill many kinds of animals besides the pests that are targeted. Many seep into the soil, contaminating groundwater supplies, lakes, rivers, and food sources. Many persist for a long time, poisoning the environment for hundreds of years.
Today, scientists and entomologists are encouraging people to use other methods to control pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) uses a variety of pest control techniques to create a more efficient and safe way to manage insect pests. Some of these methods include: natural predators and parasites, mixing plantings, habitat changes, chemicals, timing, mechanical removal, and pheromones.
Physical and mechanical controls are some of the safest ways to control insect pests because they are not poisonous. They include: installing window screens, using flyswatters, planting marigolds to repel insect pests in the garden, using sticky, nonpoisonous tape, and putting up mosquito netting.
Biological controls include insect parasites, predators, or pathogens and they are safer than poisons because they don’t harm other living things. Some examples are: encouraging birds such as bluebirds and purple martins to nest in your yard; releasing ladybird beetles, lacewing larvae, and other natural insect predators to control aphids and other pests; releasing parasites; and using species-specific natural pathogens to kill various pest species.
Chemical control is the most dangerous form of pest control. Even though they appear to be effective initially, many insects become resistant to chemicals with prolonged use. Insect poisons are deadly to many types of living things. They contaminate the soil for years to come and are difficult to dispose of safely. Most scientists agree that other strategies should be tried before resorting to using chemicals. If you do use poisons, use the least amount necessary, follow the directions, and dispose of the remainder properly. Never apply pesticides when children or pets are nearby, and be sure to store them in a safe place.
Vocabulary
arachnid a creature with eight legs and two major body parts
chemical control the use of natural or synthetic powders, pellets, or sprays to control pests
cultural control changing the habitat to control many pest species. For example, getting rid of standing water in buckets can eliminate a potential mosquito breeding area.
entomologist a scientist who studies insects
insect a creature with six legs and three major body parts
larva an immature stage of some insects
mechanical tools, machines, or equipment that aid in pest
control management (Examples: screens, fences)
metamorphosis the three or four separate stages an insect passes through from egg to adult
mixed plantings planting mixed stands of crops instead of planting large areas with just one type of plant. Mixed stands are not as susceptible to insect damage.
natural parasites bacteria, viruses, and insect parasites that will kill pests but won’t harm other living things
natural predators animals that will eat pests. Bats, ladybugs, praying mantids, garter snakes, toads, and purple martins are all examples of natural predators.
pheromones natural and synthetic chemicals to attract or confuse insect pests
timing planting and harvesting crops to avoid those times when insects are most abundant and active
mixed plantings planting mixed stands of crops instead of planting large areas with just one type of plant. Mixed stands are not as susceptible to insect damage.
natural parasites bacteria, viruses, and insect parasites that will kill pests but won’t harm other living things
natural predators animals that will eat pests. Bats, ladybugs, praying mantids, garter snakes, toads, and purple martins are all examples of natural predators.
pheromones natural and synthetic chemicals to attract or confuse insect pests
timing planting and harvesting crops to avoid those times when insects are most abundant and active
Logistics
Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour for the Introduction and Involvement
Group Size: 5 to 30
Space: an area with comfortable seating
Materials
- Handout 1 “Anti-Insect Items” *
- Handout 2 “‘Pest or Pal’ Bug List” *
- Handout 3 “Wanted” poster *
- Bugs by David T. Greenberg *
- IPM Control Methods word cards *
- Assessment for an Illustration or Poster *
* single copy provided
Preparation
- Obtain the Bugs book from the kit.
- Make copies of Handout 1, “Anti-Insect Items,” Handout 2, “‘Pest or Pal’ Bug List,” and Handout 3, “Wanted” poster.
- Obtain the IPM Control Methods word cards.
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Grade |
Maine Learning Results |
Common Core Standards for English and Mathematics |
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3-5 |
ELA – Research C1. Students create, identify, and answer research questions by gathering information from Print and non- print sources and communicating findings c. Collect, evaluate, and organize information for a specific purpose d. Communicate findings from a variety of print and non-print sources.
MA – B. Data B2. Grade 4 – Students collect and represent data in tables line plots, and bar graphs, and read and interpret these types of data. Grade 5 – Students read, construct and interpret line graphs.
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ELA – Reading: Foundational Skills Grades 4 & 5: 4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
Reading: Informational Texts 1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. 9. Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Writing Grade 4 : 7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). Grade 5: 7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).
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