What is IPM?

Download This Lesson: What is IPM?

Focus Areas: Pest Control; Science, Language Arts

Focus Skills: evaluating data, making generalizations, forming conclusions

 

Objective

To understand the purpose and methods of Integrated Pest Management, IPM

Essential Questions

What is IPM?

Essential Understanding

Background

Because excessive use of chemicals poses an environmental threat, alternate solutions to pest control are both practical and necessary. IPM makes use of multiple tactics to control pests. These include biological, physical or mechanical, cultural, and regulatory controls. Chemical pest control is used only when less invasive methods are inadequate or ineffective. Furthermore, chemical control should be carefully monitored to minimize negative outcomes.

Note: Read the background on the Praying Mantis in order to help the group interview “Izzy” during the Involvement portion of the lesson.

Vocabulary:

beneficial insect –  an insect that eats other insects that are destructive

chemical – sprays, powders, pellets, or liquids that help control pests but may be harmful to people and the environment

IPM –  a combination of ways used to control pests

Logistics

Time:  30 minutes
Group size:  5 to 30
Space:  an area for comfortable seating

 Materials

• Izzy puppet *
• copy of the IPM Song *
• Supplement “Insecta Inspecta World – Praying Mantis” *
• directions for “Munch Lunch” game *
• small playing pieces (raisins or Cheerios) to represent the bugs for Munch Lunch game
• small paper plates (one per child)
• plastic tablecloth

* single copy provided

Preparations

Review the Background and the Supplemental fact sheet “Insecta Inspecta World – Praying Mantis”
Become familiar with the song and the game.

Activity

Introduction

1. Introduce the group to the “Izzy” puppet as Izzy the Praying Mantis. Read or sing the first verse of the IPM Song.

2. Print Izzy’s name on the board using upper case letters for I, P, and M.

3. Point to each upper case letter, and as the children say it, print it beneath Izzy’s name to spell IPM. Read or sing the second verse of the IPM Song.

4. Tell the children IPM is a special way to control pests without hurting pets, people, good plants, and animals.

5. Ask the children if they would like to help Izzy and learn how IPM works. Read or sing the third verse of the IPM Song.

Involvement

1. Allow the children to interview Izzy to discover why he is the mascot for Connecticut IPM. (He is a beneficial insect, the state insect, and considered by  any to be the best hunter of all insects.) Use the puppet to answer questions. Focus on his hunting skills if you plan to do the Follow Up portion of the lesson.

2. Explain that many insects eat more harmful insects. This is one way to control pests without using pesticides that can hurt good bugs and other animals,  arm plants, and pollute the environment.

3. Play the Munch Lunch Directions for Munch Lunch, a math counting gamegame.

Directions for Munch Lunch, a math counting game:

1. Put the tablecloth on the floor and have the children sit in a large circle around it. Tell the children they are going to take turns pretending to be a beneficial (helpful) praying mantis.

2. Review what makes the mantis such a good hunter. (patient, fast, good eyesight, head can turn side to side, etc.)

3. Give each child a small paper plate.

4. Scatter the pretend “insects” on the tablecloth.

5. Recite the following verse, inserting a child’s name in the first line and a number in the second line:

______________, the praying mantis is hungry for his/her lunch and captures _____ insects to crunch and munch!

As each child is chosen, he/she approaches the prey (encourage them to act like a mantis for added fun), snatches the correct number of insect treats, and  puts the “insects” on the plate.  Encourage the other children to chant the verse as the mantis “hunts.”

6. When a child has captured his/her prey, he/she should hold up the “insects” one at a time while the group counts them.  Note: New “insects” are replaced in the circle as the numbers are depleted.

Variations: The child who is hunting may select the next praying mantis and number following his/her turn. Two children may be selected at once to be the hunters to create a race.

Follow Up

What can you do if a pest is bugging you?

This introduces the IPM segment of the lesson.

1. Review the concept that CHEMICALS should be the last choice for pest control.

2. Discuss the following scenarios with the children:

a. You have weeds growing in your garden. (Dig them up…be sure to get the roots too!)
b. Bees are gathering nectar from your flowers. (Leave them alone.)
c. You have mosquitoes in your yard. (Dump all water not being used; wear long sleeved shirts and long pants if you go outside at night.)
d. You have mice in your kitchen. (Store food in tightly closed containers, keep areas clean where pets eat, don’t let mouse nesting materials (like garbage, newspapers, or old socks) stack up, set traps, get a cat.)
e. You have flies in the house. (Make sure all screens are tight and have no holes. Don’t leave outside doors open.)

 

Correlations to State of Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction

ELA = English Language Arts,   HE/PE = Health Education and Physical Education,    MA = Mathematics,    SCI = Science,   SS = Social Studies,   VPA = Visual and Performing Arts

** Alignment possible only if lesson extension is done

Grade	Maine Learning Results	Common Core Standards for English and Mathematics
PreK-2	ELA – E. Listening E1. Students use early active listening skills. SCI – E. The Living Environment ** E2. Students understand how plants and animals depend on each other and the environment in which they live. a. Explain that animals use plants and other animals for food, shelter, and nesting. **Have students tell how some insects eat other, more harmful insects.	ELA – Speaking & Listening Kindergarten: 2. Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if  something is not understood Grade 1: 2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. Grade 2: 2. Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. MA – Kindergarten: Counting & Cardinality KCC4 – Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality. When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object. Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted. Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger. **KCC5 Count to answer “How many?” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20 count out that many objects** **Extension: Ask students “How Many insects did your mantis hunt?”