I wonder if that plant likes Manduca hanging out on its leaves...

Lesson Overview:

Students will look at the relationship between plants and Manduca. They will also look at human interactions with the plant world. After examining the world around by taking an observation walk at a local park or on school grounds, they will come up with ways that they can make the area a better or more productive place.

Objectives:

1. learn that the Manduca only lays one egg on each plant
2. become aware of the relationship between plants and animals
3. speculate about the relationships other creatures have with plants
4. look at the relationship humans have with the world around them
5. come up with ways to preserve and protect nature
6. carry out some of these plans.

Subject Area Focus:  science & social studies

Materials: 

• journals
• if necessary computer time
• if possible plant field guides

Procedure:

1. The teacher will tell the class that after they make their daily observations they will be going on a walking field trip.
2. Students should be told to bring their journals with them on the walk.
3. Teacher should introduce lesson:
   - Did you know that the female moth lives for about a week and in that time she can lay up to seven hundred eggs?
   - She lays only one egg on each plant. This way there is plenty of food for the emerging Manduca and the plant will be able to recover easily.
   - Even though insects do damage to plants they do no want to kill them. Insects want enough food to survive and be able to lay new eggs.
4. Before you take students outside it would be helpful to present students with several plants they might find in the area. Using a fieldguide book to native plants will help students use pictures to identify things and also to put a name to a plant that they see everyday. Encourage students to draw plants they find, but cannot idenitify.
   *The Wisconsin State Flora Website has great pictures and may be more accessible than indivdual field guides. Teachers should look ahead of time and pick out 3-5 specimens present in the observation area to share with students:
   http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wisflora/
5. Teacher will introduce the purpose of the observation walk:
   - Make a list of all the plants you see that you can recognize.
   - Are they homes, food, something else?
   - What can you do to help preserve the natural world around you?
   - What can our class do?
   *Teacher Note:Students should go somewhere away from heavy human traffic if possible. This lesson can be done on school grounds, at a public park, or any place where there is some room to wander and observe.
6. After observations have been recorded the class should either settle outside or go back in to discuss what they observed.
7. A list of potential things that the class can do to enhance, protect, or effect the natural world around them should be brainstormed.
   *suggestions: community clean-up, graffiti & litter removal, start a recycling project, plant some trees
8. If at all possible some of these suggestions should be implemented by the class.