Saturday, June 08, 2013

Life Science, Week 26

Invertebrate Life Cycles

Although this week was supposed to detail life cycles of various types of invertebrates, it ended up primarily focusing on a couple of popular insectival life cycles. I figured this was okay since we had already covered other invertebrate life cycles during our studies earlier this month and last.


Monday

Wednesday

Tessa's completed "A Ladybug's Life Cycle" booklet shows the various stages of a ladybug's life cycle...from adult to egg to larva to pupa to ladybug. Later that day, she successfully identified both a ladybug larva and a pupa while playing outside.
Tessa's completed "A Ladybug's Life Cycle" booklet shows the various stages of a ladybug's life cycle...from adult to egg to larva to pupa to ladybug. Later that day, she successfully identified both a ladybug larva and a pupa while playing outside. 

Friday

Supplies for our mealworm house...oats, apple chunks, damp sponges, recycled plastic bucket and mealworms. The instructions called for damp paper towels, but I thought sponges might work better.
Supplies for our mealworm house...oats, apple chunks, damp sponges, recycled plastic bucket and mealworms. The instructions called for damp paper towels, but I thought sponges might work better.

Tessa began creating our mealworm house by pouring oats into the recycled plastic bucket.
Tessa began creating our mealworm house by pouring oats into the recycled plastic bucket.

After adding the apple chunks and damp sponges, Tessa helped transfer the mealworms (darkling beetle larvae) to their new home.  We transferred sixty-four mealworms in all. We first thought some of our mealworms were dead. Turns out that what we were looking at were molted skins. Mealworms molt several times as they bridge from larva to pupa stage.
After adding the apple chunks and damp sponges, Tessa helped transfer the mealworms (darkling beetle larvae) to their new home.  We transferred sixty-four mealworms in all. We first thought some of our mealworms were dead. Turns out that what we were looking at were molted skins. Mealworms molt several times as they bridge from larva to pupa stage.

Our completed mealworm house. Now, we watch and wait. It can takes several months for a mealworm to complete its life cycle.
Our completed mealworm house. Now, we watch and wait. It can takes several months for a mealworm to complete its life cycle.

Tessa also observed a mealworm with a hand leans, drew a picture of it and then wrote a sentence about what it does in its new home.
Tessa also observed a mealworm with a hand leans, drew a picture of it and then wrote a sentence about what it does in its new home. 

Other Books of Interest

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