urban park rangers • education program …entomology is the scientific study of insects. insects...

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City of New YorkParks & Recreation

City of New YorkParks & RecreationUrban Park Rangers

The New York CityDepartment of Education

urban park rangers • educat ion program

The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation presents

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The Natural Classroom is a series of educational programs developed by the Urban Park Rangers toimmerse students in the living laboratory of the natural world. These programs combine standards-based education with hands-on field lessons taught by Urban Park Rangers.

Based on natural and cultural topics that are visibly brought to life in our parks, The Natural Classroomis designed to stimulate, motivate and inspire your students to apply their developing skills in English,Math, Science and History to real-life critical thinking challenges.

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FFiinndd YYoouurr LLeevveell:: Level One = Grades K-2 Level Two = Grades 2-6 Level Three = Grades 6-8

WWoorrdd CChhaalllleennggee:: Important vocabulary words are pro-vided and listed in order of appearance. Let your studentsfind the definitions and begin their adventure.

FFooccuuss oonn TThhee BBiigg PPiiccttuurree:: Read the teacher text tolearn about the three main program concepts, introducethem to your class, and get them thinking in context.

TTaakkee AAccttiioonn:: Have your students research, write, meas-ure, build, and create using the pre-visit activities. Eachproject is designed to actively engage the group in plan-ning for their park visit.

PPrreeppaarree ffoorr AAddvveennttuurree:: Review the park visit activ-ities a few days before the trip so you will be aware of theday’s anticipated events. Let your students know how todress for the weather, the bugs, and the terrain – you willbe outdoors in the “wilds” of New York City parks.

WWrraapp iitt uupp:: Have your students map, graph, illustrate,chart and analyze their way to thoughtful conclusionsusing the post-visit activities.

OOnn aanndd BBeeyyoonndd:: Loved your park experience and thelearning topic so much that you want more? We haveincluded extension activities that expand the scope of thein-class program.

The activities in Entomology: Buggin Out!focus on the following skills:

• Creating and Reading Graphs, Measuring, and Making Calculations

• Exploring Living Science Concepts by creating Field Guides, andGathering Data in the field

Writing and Drawing

Key Entomology Vocabulary Words

invertebrates thorax cocoon social insectsexoskeleton abdomen chrysalis queenchitin metamorphosis adult workerhead egg nymph dronemandibles larva moltproboscis pupa migration

*Words will be italicized throughout program

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CONCEPT1

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PPiiccttuurree

Entomology is the scientific study of insects.

Insects are among the most interesting and abun-dant creatures on the planet. They are all aroundus, they come in many shapes, sizes, and colorsand they have the ability to completely changetheir physical form.

All insects are part of a larger group known asPhylum Arthropoda, which includes spiders,horseshoe crabs, shrimp and centipedes. Allarthropods are invertebrates, meaning they donot have a spine but have an external skeletoninstead. They also have a segmented body andlegs with joints. All insects and only insects havesix legs.

The skeleton that insects wear on the outside oftheir bodies serves as armor. The external skeletonor exoskeleton is a tough, flexible layer made of asubstance called chitin. It also helps protect theinsects from water loss. Insects breathe throughopenings in the exoskeleton, called spiracles,allowing air to enter the body and travel to thebody’s cells.

Insects have three body sections:-The head contains the mouthparts and the sen-sory organs such as simple and compound eyesand antennae. Insects have specialized mouthparts relating to what they eat. Those insects withmandibles, like ants, chew their food, and thosethat have a proboscis, like butterflies, suck nectar.-The thorax contains the legs and wings.-The abdomen contains the organs.

During the course of their lives almost all insectsundergo an amazing physical change known asmetamorphosis. For example, the butterfly beginsits life as a caterpillar and the bee starts out as agrub.

There are two types of metamorphosis, completeand incomplete.

1. Complete metamorphosisThe majority of insects (88%), such as beetles,ants, wasps, bees, butterflies, and moths, under-go complete metamorphosis, which includes thefollowing stages:

Egg - A female insect lays eggs.

Larva - Larvae hatch from eggs. They do not looklike adult insects, and usually have a worm-likeshape. Caterpillars, maggots, and grubs are thelarval stages of insects. Larvae molt their skin sev-eral times a year, as they grow.

Pupa - Once the larva is full-grown, it willbecome a pupa. Many larvae create a covering ofsilk to protect themselves (from enemies and theweather) during this delicate transformation. Thissoft covering is called a cocoon. Some insects, likebutterflies, do not make cocoons, but suspendthemselves from an object and are entirelyexposed during metamorphosis. The pupa of abutterfly is called a chrysalis.

DID YOU KNOW?Ticks and spiders are often incorrectly referredto as insects, but they have eight legs not six! HOW MANY DO YOU KNOW?

In North America alone, there arealmost 100,000 species of insects!

Pupa

Adult

Egg

Larva

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CONCEPT3

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Adult - After a period of time (anywhere from 4days to many months), the adult breaks throughthe pupa skin and emerges equipped with wingsand six legs.

2. Incomplete (Simple) MetamorphosisThe minority of insects (12%), such as dragon-flies, grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas, cockroaches,

walking-sticks, and mantids, undergo incompletemetamorphosis, which includes the followingstages:

Egg - A female insect lays eggs.

Nymph - The eggs hatch into nymphs. Nymphslooks like small adults, but usually don't havewings. In order to grow, nymphs need to shed, ormolt, their tough exoskeleton. Before this is done,a new skin is formed under the old one. This newskin is soft and will allow the insect to grow beforeit hardens. Most nymphs molt 4-8 times.

Adult - The insects stop molting when they reachtheir adult size. By this time, they have also grownwings.

MMiiggrraattiioonnMany species of insects migrate, or travel longdistances to take advantage of abundant foodsources, or to find a mate and reproduce.

The Monarch butterfly is a champion of migra-tion. At the end of summer, monarch butterfliesbegin a long journey south in pursuit of warmerweather. Some butterflies have to travel 3,000miles to reach their wintering grounds in themountains in Mexico. Millions of butterflies waitout the winter together only to begin the journeyagain as spring returns to the north.

FFeeeeddiinngg HHaabbiittss As a group, insects will eat almost anything. Foodpreferences vary depending on the insect, andmay include things such as seeds, fungi, paper,wood, blood, dead animals, nectar, other insects,plants, and even concrete!

SSoocciiaall IInnsseeccttssSocial insects live in colonies and have distinctdivisions of labor, or castes. Bees, ants, termitesand wasps are all examples of social insects. Thethree basic castes found in a hive or colony are:the Queen (who founds the colony and producesthe eggs); the workers (sexually undevelopedfemales) and the drones (fertile males).

RReepprroodduuccttiioonnMost species of insects have males and femalesthat mate and reproduce sexually. In some cases,however, males are rare or present only at certaintimes of the year. In the absence of males, femalesof these species may still reproduce. For example,in many species of wasps, unfertilized eggsbecome males while fertilized eggs becomefemales.

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DID YOU KNOW?Insects aren’t the only animals who undergo meta-morphosis. Most amphibians (such as frogs) under-go metamorphosis as well.

Nymph

Adult

Egg

Nymph


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The following pre-park visit activities will prepareyour students for their trip to the park.

SSeettttiinngg uupp aa FFiieelldd JJoouurrnnaallAll Levels

Objective: To give students the means to make apermanent record of their experience.

Materials: Stapler, 10 sheets of paper per stu-dent, pencils.

What To Do: Fold the sheets of paper in half andstaple along the folded edge.

Explain that the students will be using the journalsto record information and observations from thepark visit. Have each student write their name onthe cover of the journal, as well as the name ofthe park they are gong to visit. Encourage them todraw a picture of what they expect to find at thepark.

Make some predictions before going in the field,and have students record these in their journals.

Get students thinking by asking the followingquestions: Based on the time of year, what do youexpect to see at the park? What do you think youwill learn from the visit? Have students include afew questions and answers of their own on thefirst page of the journal.

The information the students collect and theobservations they make in the field will bedependent on many things, including the time ofyear, time of day, and weather conditions. As aresult, it is important to include the followinginformation for each field journal entry:

Date: Is it early spring? Late fall? The time of yearwill greatly affect what you find in the park (e.g.insects migrate in the fall).

Time: Is it early in the morning? High noon? Thetime of day will also affect what you are likely toobserve (e.g. some insects are more active atdawn and dusk).

Weather Conditions: Is it pouring rain? Blisteringhot? These conditions will also affect what youare likely to observe (e.g. some insects are moreactive in the heat).

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IImmiittaattiioonn oorr MMiimmiiccrryySome insect species will imitate, or mimic, othersfor their protection. For example, the poisonousmonarch butterfly tastes terrible to birds and itsbright colors advertise “Don’t eat me!” The non-poisonous viceroy butterfly has evolved to lookmuch like the monarch butterfly.

Other species imitate others to make better pred-ators. For example, each species of firefly has itsown blinking signal used for locating individualsof the same species. The females of one predato-ry firefly species take advantage of this by imitat-ing the signal of a different firefly species, luringthem in to kill them!

The ten most common insect orders are listedbelow. This list is a great place to start whenidentifying an insect:

TTaakkee AAccttiioonn

HOW MANY DO YOU KNOW?Grouping insects is necessary because there are so many;there are about 900,000 known insect species in the world!

ORTHOPTERA

COLEOPTERA

LEPIDOPTERA

DIPTERA

HYMENOPTERA

HEMIPTERA

HOMOPTERA

DERMAPTERA

ODONATA

ISOPTERA

grasshoppers, crickets

beetles

butterflies, moths

flies, mosquitoes

ants, wasps, bees

true bugs

aphids, cicadas

earwigs

dragonflies

termites


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Location: Are you standing in a forest? Lookingout over a body of water? Make note of the habi-tat features (forest/trees, meadow/grasses, pond,playground) in the area, as this will greatly affectwhat you see (e.g. some insects prefer grassyareas).

Observations: Is there a swarm of flies around acertain tree? Have you seen an unusual number ofbutterflies? Using the background informationlearned in the pre-visit activities, keep your eyespeeled and keep track of any interesting observa-tions.

Sketch: A picture is worth a thousand words.Students will practice capturing specific details inthe field by drawing what they see.

Don’t forget to bring the field journals with youto the park!

IInnsseecctt FFiieelldd GGuuiiddeessAll Levels

Objective: To gather information and compile itinto a reference guide.

Materials: Key rings, single hole punch, pencils,crayons or markers, index cards, insect fieldguides and other research resources.

Before You Begin: Select the information youwant to include in the field guide (physical char-acteristics, behavior, habitat, etc.) so that eachentry is consistent.

What To Do: Have each students research two ormore insects they are likely to see in the park.Record this information on an index card with ahole punched in one corner. On one side, havethe student draw the insect in its habitat. On theother, have the student describe the insect’s char-acteristics.

Before going to the park, collect the index cardsand pass a keyring through the holes in the cardsto make a booklet.

Don’t forget to bring the field guides to the park!

KKnnooww-- WWaanntt-- LLeeaarrnneedd ((KKWWLL)) CChhaarrttAll Levels

Objective: To have students develop a betterunderstanding of insects.

Materials: Large sheets of paper, markers.

What To Do: Create a blank chart with threecolumns on a large piece of paper. Label the firstcolumn Know (K), the second column Want (W)and the third column Learned (L). Hang the chartat the front of the classroom.

Establish your students’ knowledge-base aboutinsects by asking them what they already know.Write their responses, such as “a butterfly sucksnectar with its proboscis”, under the ‘K’ on thechart with a marker. Briefly discuss each responsewith the class.

Have the students take turns writing what theywant to learn about insects under the ‘W’ columnon the chart. For example,”Why do some beesput pollen on their legs?”

As they acquire new information (throughresearch for the other pre-visit activities orthrough the visit to the park), students shouldwrite what they have learned under the ‘L’ on thechart. This stage should be ongoing.

Guide students to resources that will help themfind out about what they want to learn.

As a culminating activity, review additions to thechart and address any of the students’ prior mis-conceptions about insects. Have the studentscopy the chart into their field journals


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IInnsseeccttss oonn TTrriiaallLevel(s) Two/Three

Objective: To have students discover the benefitsof insects with “bad reputations”.

Materials: Paper, writing utensils, researchresources such as field guides.

What To Do: As a class, create a list of adjectivescommonly used to describe insects. Not surpris-ingly, many students might contribute words suchas creepy, crawly, gross, scary or disgusting.

Next, break the class into small groups and assigneach group an insect to research. Groups shouldfocus on the benefits of that insect, especially itscontributions to humans.

Stage mock trials for each insect: Humans vs.Insects. Using the list of words commonly used todescribe insects, the teacher will represent thehumans while the students represent the insects.

Read through the following park-visit activitiesto get a sense of what your students will bedoing on the day of the trip.

IInnsseecctt DDeetteeccttiivveeAll Levels

Objective: To have students discover evidence oflocal insect activity.

Materials: Insect Scavenger Hunt Worksheet,student field guides, field journals, bug boxes,insect field guides.

What To Do: Hiking with the Ranger through thepark, students will visit different habitat types,record insect observations on the InsectScavenger Hunt Worksheet, and sketch picturesof the insects in their field guides.

Use the insect field guides, or the field guidebooklets, to help students identify what they find.When in doubt, ask your Ranger!

Focus Questions:

Level One• In what parts of the parks did you findinsects?The fewest?

Level Two/Three• Do you think today’s weather conditionsimpacted what you saw?How?• What were most of the insects doing?• At what stages of development were the insectsyou found today?• Which order of insect was the most prevalent?• Did you find any insects that you were unable toidentify?

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Some examples of insects to research are:

BeesMaggots (Fly Larva)

Dung Beetles

Dragonflies

Wasps

MosquitoesTermites


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The following post- visit activities will help youwrap up the park visit by using data collected atthe park to draw conclusions. Extension activi-ties are also included.

IInnsseeccttss iinn GGrraapphhiicc DDeettaaiillAll Levels

Objective: To analyze the data collected in thepark by creating drawings, charts and graphs.

Materials: Graph paper, pencil, worksheets, fieldguides, field journals, completed Insect ScavengerHunt worksheets.

What To Do: Use the data collected on the InsectScavenger Hunt Worksheet to create graphs andcharts.

Level OneWork as a class to tally the total number of insectspecies found in each habitat type. Create a chartshowing these totals on the board. Next, work asa class to create a bar graph showing the totalnumber of insects found in each habitat (habitatversus abundance).

Level Two/ThreeHave each student calculate the total number ofinsect species observed in each habitat and createa bar graph representing habitat type versusabundance. Next, work as a class to calculate theclass totals and create a class bar graph. Have thestudents compare the two graphs.

Finally, have the students identify the order towhich each species belongs.

Focus Questions:All Levels• Are certain types of insects more prevalent?

Level Two/Three• What other factors may have altered the rela-tivenumber of insects you found?• Could polution or overabundance of certainpredators be factors?

BBuutttteerrffllyy lliiffeeccyycclleeAll Levels

Objective: To observe close-up the developmentof a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Materials: Caterpillars, butterfly habitat, andObservation Recording Sheet

What To Do: Purchase caterpillars from a scientif-ic supply store. See Carolina Biological SupplyCompany at www.carolina.com/.

Before the arrival of the caterpillars, teach theclass about the lifecycle of a butterfly, using acycle diagram found in this program. Have thestudents identify the following stages: egg, larva,pupa and adult.

Have the students draw their own cycle diagramwith arrows, illustrating and labeling each stage ofdevelopment in order of occurrence.

Then have the class use the library or internet toresearch the duration of each butterfly lifecyclestage (since the butterflies arrive in the larvalstage, and will be released in the beginning of theadult stage, the students will not witness the eggstage or the complete adult stage).

When the caterpillars arrive, determine a set timeeach day for the students to make butterfly obser-vations. The students will use recording sheets torecord the length of time the butterflies are ineach life cycle stage while they are in your class-room.

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The chrysalis (pupa) stage is the only completestage the students will observe. After the chrysalisstage is complete, the students should comparethe length of time they have recorded to thelength of time the typical butterfly spends in thisstage. The chrysalis lifecycle is considered com-plete when the majority of butterflies haveemerged.

BBuutttteerrffllyy MMiiggrraattiioonn WWaattcchhAll Levels

Objective: To have students participate in theannual fall equinox butterfly tagging event locat-ed at Belvedere Castle in Central Park.

What To Do: Monarch butterflies migrate nearly3,000 miles from their birthplaces in the Northeastto their winter homes in Mexico. You and yourstudents can participate in this process by contact-ing the Urban Park Rangers at Belvedere Castle inCentral Park by dialing 311 (outside New YorkCity dial 212-New-York).

An organization called Monarch Watch tagsabout 70,000 monarchs every year. MonarchWatch documents migration through tagging andobservation of monarchs during their journey toover-wintering sites. By tagging the adult butter-flies with uniquely coded tags, scientists can asso-ciate the location of capture (Central Park) withthe point of recovery for each butterfly. The datafrom these recaptures are used to determine thepathways taken by migrating Monarchs, the influ-

ence of weather on the migration, the survivalrate of the Monarchs, and even the overall size ofthe migratory population. You can learn moreabout this process and the organization by visitingwww.monarchwatch.org

CCuullttiivvaattee aa BBuutttteerrffllyy GGaarrddeenn iinnYYoouurr SScchhoooollyyaarrddLevel Two/Three

Objective: To have students plant a school gar-den that will attract butterflies and serve as anobservation site for the students.

What To Do: As a class, research plants and flow-ers that bloom during the school year and that willattract butterflies. The plants selected should pro-vide a safe living environment for both butterfliesand their larvae and must provide an adequatenectar supply. The garden should be placed in asunny spot. Divide responsibilities among stu-dents and begin planting after all the materialshave been acquired.

Make sure students maintain the gardenwith regular watering throughout theyear, and provide many opportuni-ties for the students to observe but-terfly behavior.

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Butterfly Weed............ Lantana.............................Butterfly Bush................. Bee Balm........................Common Cosmos....... Black-Eyed Susan..............Purple Coneflower..... Zinnia ................................

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Hollyhock............................... Parsley................................Dill.......................... Common Milkweed...................Red Clover................... New York Ironweed.......

Asclepias tuberosaBuddleia davidii

Cosmos bipinnatusEchinacea purpurea

Lantana camaraMonarda didyma

Rudbeckia hirta Zinnia elegans

Alcea roseaAnethum graveolens

Trifolium pratense

Petroselinum crispumAsclepias syriaca

Veronia novenboracensis


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IInnsseecctt SSccaavveennggeerr HHuunntt WWoorrkksshheeeettWhat To do:Try to find insects in as many different locations as possible.

Location Species Order

POND

STREAM

SHORELINE

ROTTING LOG

SHRUBS

LEAF LITTER

AIR

SOIL

OTHER


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NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

URBAN PARK RANGERS1234 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10029

Call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers NOW to book your program.

Programs developed and written by the Urban Park Rangers with the support of the National Geographic Society.

Graphic Design by Shalini S. Matosall rights reserved 2003.

THE NATURAL CLASSROOM IS AVAILABLE AT THESE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION

NATURE CENTERS AND HISTORIC HOUSESBBRROONNXX PPAARRKKSSNATURE CENTERS1 CROTONA NATURE CENTER2 ORCHARD BEACH NATURE CENTER3 PELHAM BAY RANGER STATION4 VAN CORTLANDT NATURE CENTER

HISTORIC HOUSES1 BARTOW-PELL MANSION MUSEUM2 POE COTTAGE3 VALENTINE-VARIAN HOUSE4 VAN CORTLANDT HOUSE MUSEUM

BBRROOOOKKLLYYNN PPAARRKKSSNATURE CENTERS5 SALT MARSH NATURE CENTER

HISTORIC HOUSES5 LEFFERTS HOMESTEAD 6 OLD STONE HOUSE7 PIETER CLAESEN WYCKOFF HOUSE MUSEUM 8 HENDRICK I. LOTT HOUSE

MMAANNHHAATTTTAANN PPAARRKKSSNATURE CENTERS6 BELVEDERE CASTLE7 DANA DISCOVERY CENTER8 INWOOD HILL NATURE CENTER

HISTORIC HOUSES9 DYCKMAN FARMHOUSE MUSEUM 10 GRACIE MANSION11 THE LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE12 MERCHANT’S HOUSE MUSEUM13 MORRIS-JUMEL MANSION 14 THE SWEDISH COTTAGE

QQUUEEEENNSS PPAARRKKSSNATURE CENTERS9 URBAN PARK RANGER ADVENTURE CENTER10 FOREST PARK NATURE/VISITOR CENTER

HISTORIC HOUSES15 KING MANOR MUSEUM16 KINGSLAND HOMESTEAD17 QUEENS COUNTY FARM MUSEUM18 LEWIS H. LATIMER HOUSE

SSTTAATTEENN IISSLLAANNDD PPAARRKKSSNATURE CENTERS11 BLUE HERON NATURE CENTER12 HIGH ROCK RANGER STATION

HISTORIC HOUSES19 ALICE AUSTEN HOUSE MUSEUM20 CONFERENCE HOUSE21 HISTORIC RICHMONDTOWN22 SEGUINE MANSION

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urban park rangers • education program …entomology is the scientific study of insects. insects...

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