Critter Study

(acrylic critters)

To Start:

Directions:

1. Make sure you have your spiral and a pencil.
2. Gather items and place on your desk.

Observations:
Directions:

1. Write your name and date in top right corner.
2. Write the title centered on the top line.
3. Examine the critters in acrylic. 
4. Use hand-held magnifying glass to look closer.
5. Try to identify the animals.  Use this site: http://insectidentification.org  to try to identify the critters. 
6. Draw and label the parts.  Use this site to help you with some of the animal parts: (http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-anatomy.asp)
7. Do you think all of the critters are insects?  Guess what? They aren't.  In your spiral write these three headings:  Arachnid, Insect, and Crustacean.  Write the numbers of the critters under the heading you think they belong.
8. Check your work:  11-cricket, 2-locust, 3-yellow leaf beetle, 14-crab, 1-scorpian, 12-giant ant, 13-wasp, 6-flower bug.  Now that you know the critter names, do you need to move any of your critters into a different section?
9. 
   

Reflections:
Directions:  Now, respond to these prompts IN DEPTH. Please use details. Refrain from using the words IT, THEY, GOES, VERY, STUFF, etc.  Each answer should have at least two detailed sentences. 

1. How does viewing insects and small creatures with a hand lens different that just looking at them?
2. Why is study insects and other small animals important?  http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/radicalbugs/default.php?page=importance_of_insects
3. Compare/contrast insects, crustaceans and arachnids. Make a Venn digram using 3 circles. Use this source: http://rwtinteractives.ncte.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=28
4. What kind of experiment could you create using small critters, these critters in the acrylic? What could you compare/contrast, for instance. (Please provide ideas other than look at things to see them up close.)