CONVERSEMOS:
¿Cómo puede ser peligroso un insecto tan pequeño?
Pista...
¿Quizás tiene que ver con la sangre que obtienen al picarte?
¿Por qué crees que hay más zancudos en los trópicos que en otros lugares?
CONVERSEMOS:
Con lo que has aprendido sobre los zancudos y su ciclo de vida, ¿qué sugerencias le darías a la gente para ayudarlos a que no le piquen los zancudos después de una primavera lluviosa?
In this lesson, students investigate mosquito life cycles and habitats and discover the role of mosquitoes in carrying diseases such as malaria. In the activity, Bug Off!, students evaluate the merits of different solutions for getting rid of mosquitoes at various locations in a town. Students design a solution to help the town deal with an abundance of mosquitoes resulting from a very rainy summer.
Preview activityBug Off! Backyard worksheet | 1 per student |
Bug Off! Picnic Area worksheet | 1 per student |
Bug Off! Playground worksheet | 1 per student |
Problem Solver’s Sheet worksheet | 1 per student |
We suggest students work in pairs so they can share their ideas with a partner. Homeschool students can work on their own.
We have provided three Bug Off! worksheets, each picturing a different location in town. In a class, we suggest giving students a choice of which site they’d like to work with. You could also choose to have everyone come up with a solution for the same site. If students finish early, you can have them work on other sites so they can think of multiple solutions to the mosquito problem.
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
After you complete the lesson and activity, try this extension.
Book: Bugged! Why do mosquitoes find Riley so tasty?
Readings: Fighting back against mosquitoes
After you complete the lesson and activity, try this extension.
Make a Mosquito Metamorphosis Wheel
Like butterflies, mosquitoes go through full metamorphosis.
Watch this video (1:45) to see the mosquito life cycle, and then make a Mosquito Metamorphosis Wheel.
For background information, check out this helpful PDF from the CDC.
After you complete the lesson and activity, try this extension.
Videos: Bugs, bites…and blood
Video: Meet mosquito control biologist Shelly Redovan.
After you complete the lesson and activity, try this extension.
You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.
If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
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