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What's the best way to get rid of mosquitoes?

What's the best way to get rid of mosquitoes?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS:

How do you think mosquitoes could be dangerous?

Hint...

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DISCUSS:

Why do you think there are more mosquitoes in tropical places?

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DISCUSS:

Given what you’ve learned about mosquitoes and their life cycle, what are some suggestions you would give people to help them avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes after a rainy spring?

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disease


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a condition that makes a living thing unhealthy; illness or sickness
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malaria


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a disease of the blood caused by parasites that are carried by mosquitoes
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parasite


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a living thing that lives in or on another living thing and gets nutrients from it
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metamorphosis


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a process where an animal's body transforms dramatically, such as a caterpillar turning into a butterfly
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larva


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a life stage between egg and pupa for living things that go through metamorphosis
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pupa


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a life stage between larva and adult for animals that go through metamorphosis
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life cycle


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the stages of life, including birth, growth, reproduction, and death
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swamp


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a habitat covered in water and filled with many trees
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observe


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to pay close attention to something
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design


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to make a plan for creating or doing something
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constraint


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something that limits what you can do
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engineer


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a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep

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 activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Bug 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
Prep Instructions

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.

Exploration

21 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins

Wrap-Up

4 mins

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