Teacher Preparation

Students will...

... understand the role of the entomologist
... understand that each insect collection method achieves a different result
... understand why teamwork is important when collecting animals.

Students can...

… analyse one insect collection method
… describe the safe use of one insect collection method
… actively contribute to a team environment while collecting insects.

Consider making the learning intentions and success criteria visible to students throughout this lesson.

Teacher content information:

Although it is possible to teach this lesson in isolation, it forms part of a unit of eight lessons designed to introduce place-based learning to your class and to encourage students to consider what is in their backyard and school grounds. To allow flexibility for you and your students, the design of this unit is such that you can work through all eight lessons in sequence.

Place-based learning takes advantage of geography to create meaningful, authentic and engaging personalised learning activities for students. Learning this way is less of an intellectual approach but a more organic and emotional experience. There is so much we can learn from what is outside and around us. By engaging with our environment, students can cover local heritage, culture, science, maths, literacy and other subjects.

Design principles of place-based learning:

Design-thinking
Learner-centred
Community as a classroom
Interdisciplinary approach
Inquiry-based
Local to global

Many schools already have an approach to sustainability. These lessons take this approach a step closer by making your local environment a place of study. The lessons present opportunities to help students develop a deeper connection (and understanding) to their school grounds, as well as their backyards.

For more information on Place-Based Education, click here.

Unit overview:

Lesson 1 - Students explore habitats in their local backyards, focusing on their school grounds.
Lesson 2 - Students will investigate insect habitats and the ethics of studying insects.
Lesson 3 - Students research and analyse various insect collecting methods/devices.
Lesson 4 - Students will understand the steps needed to undertake a bush blitz in their schoolyard.
Lesson 5 - Students consider Indigenous and Western world views of the species in their backyard.
Lesson 6 - Students explore the roles of decomposers and pollinators.
Lesson 7 - Students look at parasitic insect species and their lifecycle in all their gory glory.
Lesson 8 - Students create artworks based on the bush blitz species and the habitats in which the species live.

Familiarise yourself with the species collection methods described later in the lesson. You may wish to have Collection Methods Images ready to be displayed so students can see the enlarged version.

If designing and making the species collection method during class time, make sure students have had a good look around their home to bring in the necessary parts. Alternatively, you can find most of the items needed in second-hand shops.

The terms 'bush blitz' and a 'bio blitz' mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. In this lesson, the term bush blitz will be prioritised unless referencing an external source where the term 'bio blitz' is used.

For more information on habitats: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/habitat/

Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

30 minutes	Part B: Insect Collection Methods
10 minutes	Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1.

Begin this lesson by briefly explaining (or recapping, if you completed the previous lesson) the role of an Entomologist. Suggest the following to students:

Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. An entomologist is a scientist within this field who studies insects. As part of their work, entomologists need to make choices about how to record their finds: they can ‘catch-and-release’ their insects or ‘catalogue’ them.

Differentiation:

Where students have completed the previous lesson: invite students to share some of their reflections from their previous journal entries, specifically focusing on whether more information and perspectives on insect collection methods changed their decision-making during the continuum line activity.
Where students have not completed the previous lesson: invite students to share what they think the differences between ‘catch-and-release’ and ‘cataloguing’ might be. Explain that ‘catch-and-release’ is when scientists catch the animal, photograph it or take a small piece of skin and blood to test and then release the animals. Whereas ‘cataloguing’ an animal is when they can’t get all the information from that, so they need to take the whole animal. If scientists take the entire animal, permission from an Ethics Board is required to ensure it is a painless process for the animal and that it will not suffer. Students may be unfamiliar with the term ‘ethics’, and so you may wish to have a conversation about this and what ethics mean.

Step 2.

As a class, brainstorm techniques for the traps that entomologists might use to catch-and-release insects versus cataloguing them.

If students have no experience, the two videos below can help with the comparison of techniques. Both videos feature entomologists. Invite students to consider the types of traps used to find animals and whether or not you would classify them as catch-and-release or cataloguing.

A day with an entomologist - Otago Museum (https://youtu.be/gQDTmwqVoAs)
The Day in the Life of an Entomologist: Gil Wizen - Curiosity in Focus (https://youtu.be/8ZjEClocvY0)

Part B. Insect Collection Methods

Step 1.

Introduce insect collection methods. You may wish to find your own images of the methods below to display in your class (also available here). From one to six, the images below show: a pitfall trap, a pooter, an insect net, a Berlese funnel, a beat sheet, and hands. Ask the students if they have had experience with any of these collection devices before.

Step 2.

Divide the class into six groups. Each group is to research one insect collection method from the following list:

Pitfall trap
Pooter
Insect net
Berlese funnel (also known as a Tullgren funnel)
Beat sheet
Hands

For each method, ask students to conduct research to find out the following and record the results of their research on Table 1 of the Student Worksheet:

Instructions for using the chosen method to collect insects and spiders and how easy it is to use
If there are any safety concerns for using the method
Sourcing each trap: is it easier or cheaper to buy or make one for our use? (Obviously, this doesn’t apply to hands!)
How ethical the collection method is for animals and the environment.

Useful websites to get started with are:

The Bush Blitz website (https://bushblitz.org.au/introducing-an-expedition-for-everyone/)
Insect Hunters Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxVdaLr1b8pPirmoSecMDw)

Step 3.

Each group can present their findings of each method back to class.

Step 4.

Once each group has had the chance to share their work with the class, you could work collaboratively as a class to outline the PMI of each insect collection method. Create a table like the one below on the board and invite students to make suggestions that can be added to the table.

Insect method	Positive	Minus	Interesting
Pitfall trap
Pooter
Berlese funnel
Insect nets
Beat sheets
Hands

Step 5. Differentiation:

Part C: Making An Insect Collection Device

Step 1.

Explain to students that they will now have the chance to access or make a collection method/device. Work together as a class to think about how you could access the materials required to make different collection methods/devices, such as using recycled parts or materials from home. Below are some simple everyday instructions on how to make them, using materials found around home.

Instructions below on how to make each of these.

To make an insect sweep net
To make a pitfall trap
To make a berlaise trap
To make a pooter
To make a beat sheet

Step 2. Differentiation:

For students who are not completing further lessons in this unit, test the collection methods in your teams in one of your school habitats. Table 4 on the Student Worksheet can help with your collection and testing. You could also use the Bugs And Slugs ID Chart to help you identify the types of insects you find.
For students who will be completing further lessons in this unit, store your collection devices in a safe place for use later on.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the following activity (also available on the Student Worksheet). Students can record their ideas in full sentences, note form or drawings/doodles:

If you made an insect trap, write a reflection on the design process. What worked and what did not? How could they make it better?
If you did not make an insect trap, discuss how you felt working in a team? What was great about it and what was challenging?

Differentiated Learning

These tasks require a lot of writing. It is recommended that mixed ability groups are formed so that students with stronger literacy skills can support others in their group.

Extension -

Invite students to design and create their own unique collection method, using what they can find at home.
Brainstorm ways in which they could get an accurate representation of all the habitats around the school. Are there other methods you could consider, especially between day and night?
Invite an entomologist into school and to discuss their collection methods.

Provisions for Learning Support –

As a class, students can start to build a terminology wall for key terms using images and words to represent them.
For the roles of students in Part C, use pictures to give students a better idea of what to do.
Spend longer in the design challenge of making and doing, if children are tactile learners. This could be a whole week as they design and build on from their knowledge.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Backyard Bush Blitz - Collection Methods

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