Bugspot -- Curriculum

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Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Educational Curriculum
For Primary School Classrooms (3-5)

We recommend groups of 15 students working with an instructor.

I. All about the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
A. What is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter?
B. What does it do?
C. How can we help stop the insect from spreading?

II. Projects
A. Take a walk!
B. Labs

I. All About the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter

A. What is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter?

1. If already teaching a unit about insects, devote one class session to discussing "pests."

2. Begin by asking students to list insects that live in this area that might affect the ecology or economy. Write the names on the board. Ask students whether the effect of these insects may be - can the insect have a positive impact by spreading pollen, for example, or is the insect capable of killing plants? Possibly students will mention the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, if they've heard about it.

3. If students do not bring up the GWSS, write it on the board, and ask students if they've heard about it. Tell them that today you're going to discuss the GWSS, since it's an insect that is already having an important impact on the state's ecology.

4. Ask the students if they know what the GWSS is, and if they've ever seen one. If they say they have, ask them how big
it is, what color, etc. Write their ideas on the board.

5. Compare their ideas with the real thing. Show them a large photo, or pass out the vial with the insect in it.

B. What does the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter do?

1. Ask the students what they think the insect does, based on what it looks like. Write down their ideas.

2. Now is a good time to show the video, or the PowerPoint presentation depending on what's best for your classroom.

3. After it's over, ask the students to explain what the insect does. Make sure to focus on impacts that directly affect them and that they can easily understand. Tell them that there are two ways in which GWSS can potentially harm plants.

a. W hen the GWSS feeds, it sucks huge amounts of liquid out of plants. Explain that GWSS drinks 13 milliliters of water every day, or about 200-300 times its body weight - the equivalent of a human being drinking 4,300 gallons of water every day! An infested citrus orchard in Southern California needed an increase in water irrigation of 25% -- that's a lot of water. If you have access to the video, this is a great time to talk about Sharpshooter rain, the liquid the insect excretes while it's feeding, that leaves white stains on plants, sidewalks, cars or anything else outside. If you can't show this process in action, show them photographs of the white stains on fruit and leaves.

b. Read a list of plants that are affected by diseases the insect carries (almonds, alfalfa, citrus, oleander, grapes, etc. - a full list in available on www.bugspot.org). Ask students to imagine what they'd miss about these plants (no more fruit salad, almond Hershey bars, etc.).

C. How can we stop the insect from spreading?

1. Talk about the inspection program -- how inspectors are carefully inspecting plant material that comes into the county. The video shows how biologists turn leaves upside down to inspect them - if possible, demonstrate this. Show pictures of an egg mass - this is what they are usually looking for. You can even invite a County inspector to visit your classroom.

II. Projects

A. Take a walk!

1. Give everyone a "sharpshooter kit" in a plastic baggie (we provide these) to capture suspicious insects, flagging tape to tie on plants, a single-panel brochure, a magnifying glass, a sticker, and a 3-D magnet with a picture of the insect.

2. Take the students out to a nearby park or recreation area, or even the playground, to use their GWSS kits. Instruct them to look at leaves and plants - hopefully they won't find anything, but it's fun to look. You can have them look for other interesting plant and insect specimens to share with their classmates. Tell them it's okay to bring back insects, and it may be possible to bring back some plants that they find interesting, to share with the group, but not trash such as cigarette butts, animal droppings, etc. Reiterate that they should try to treat all insects gently. They should use the flagging tape in the kits to mark each area from which they remove a specimen, so that they can return it later.

3. After this "Sharpshooter spotting" expedition, bring the students back into a circle or the classroom to share their findings. Have them talk about the impact these bugs may have on plants. If anyone thinks they've found a Sharpshooter, compare the insect to the pictures, and have the students explain why the insect is or isn't a Sharpshooter. If it looks like it could be one, call the hotline, 1-866-BUG-SPOT, right away. Explain that you're in a classroom situation, and see if a biologist can come and inspect your specimen immediately.

4. After the presentations, have the students return their specimens to where they found them. Encourage them to take their Sharpshooter kits home, inspect their yards and neighborhood parks, and share the information they have learned with family members and neighbors.

5. End the unit by reviewing the important questions - what does the insect look like, and what does it do?

B. Labs

1. If your school has a lab facility, this is another opportunity to expand the unit. Contact your local Agricultural Commissioner or University of California campus about having someone speak to students or acquiring samples that can be viewed under a microscope - GWSS, egg masses, or Sharpshooter rain. Depending on what stage current research is at when you contact them, they may have other ideas about ways in which students can learn about the insect.

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	Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Educational Curriculum For Primary School Classrooms (3-5)
	We recommend groups of 15 students working with an instructor. I. All about the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter A. What is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter? B. What does it do? C. How can we help stop the insect from spreading? II. Projects A. Take a walk! B. Labs I. All About the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter A. What is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter? 1. If already teaching a unit about insects, devote one class session to discussing "pests." 2. Begin by asking students to list insects that live in this area that might affect the ecology or economy. Write the names on the board. Ask students whether the effect of these insects may be - can the insect have a positive impact by spreading pollen, for example, or is the insect capable of killing plants? Possibly students will mention the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, if they've heard about it. 3. If students do not bring up the GWSS, write it on the board, and ask students if they've heard about it. Tell them that today you're going to discuss the GWSS, since it's an insect that is already having an important impact on the state's ecology. 4. Ask the students if they know what the GWSS is, and if they've ever seen one. If they say they have, ask them how big it is, what color, etc. Write their ideas on the board. 5. Compare their ideas with the real thing. Show them a large photo, or pass out the vial with the insect in it. B. What does the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter do? 1. Ask the students what they think the insect does, based on what it looks like. Write down their ideas. 2. Now is a good time to show the video, or the PowerPoint presentation depending on what's best for your classroom. 3. After it's over, ask the students to explain what the insect does. Make sure to focus on impacts that directly affect them and that they can easily understand. Tell them that there are two ways in which GWSS can potentially harm plants. a. W hen the GWSS feeds, it sucks huge amounts of liquid out of plants. Explain that GWSS drinks 13 milliliters of water every day, or about 200-300 times its body weight - the equivalent of a human being drinking 4,300 gallons of water every day! An infested citrus orchard in Southern California needed an increase in water irrigation of 25% -- that's a lot of water. If you have access to the video, this is a great time to talk about Sharpshooter rain, the liquid the insect excretes while it's feeding, that leaves white stains on plants, sidewalks, cars or anything else outside. If you can't show this process in action, show them photographs of the white stains on fruit and leaves. b. Read a list of plants that are affected by diseases the insect carries (almonds, alfalfa, citrus, oleander, grapes, etc. - a full list in available on www.bugspot.org). Ask students to imagine what they'd miss about these plants (no more fruit salad, almond Hershey bars, etc.). C. How can we stop the insect from spreading? 1. Talk about the inspection program -- how inspectors are carefully inspecting plant material that comes into the county. The video shows how biologists turn leaves upside down to inspect them - if possible, demonstrate this. Show pictures of an egg mass - this is what they are usually looking for. You can even invite a County inspector to visit your classroom. II. Projects A. Take a walk! 1. Give everyone a "sharpshooter kit" in a plastic baggie (we provide these) to capture suspicious insects, flagging tape to tie on plants, a single-panel brochure, a magnifying glass, a sticker, and a 3-D magnet with a picture of the insect. 2. Take the students out to a nearby park or recreation area, or even the playground, to use their GWSS kits. Instruct them to look at leaves and plants - hopefully they won't find anything, but it's fun to look. You can have them look for other interesting plant and insect specimens to share with their classmates. Tell them it's okay to bring back insects, and it may be possible to bring back some plants that they find interesting, to share with the group, but not trash such as cigarette butts, animal droppings, etc. Reiterate that they should try to treat all insects gently. They should use the flagging tape in the kits to mark each area from which they remove a specimen, so that they can return it later. 3. After this "Sharpshooter spotting" expedition, bring the students back into a circle or the classroom to share their findings. Have them talk about the impact these bugs may have on plants. If anyone thinks they've found a Sharpshooter, compare the insect to the pictures, and have the students explain why the insect is or isn't a Sharpshooter. If it looks like it could be one, call the hotline, 1-866-BUG-SPOT, right away. Explain that you're in a classroom situation, and see if a biologist can come and inspect your specimen immediately. 4. After the presentations, have the students return their specimens to where they found them. Encourage them to take their Sharpshooter kits home, inspect their yards and neighborhood parks, and share the information they have learned with family members and neighbors. 5. End the unit by reviewing the important questions - what does the insect look like, and what does it do? B. Labs 1. If your school has a lab facility, this is another opportunity to expand the unit. Contact your local Agricultural Commissioner or University of California campus about having someone speak to students or acquiring samples that can be viewed under a microscope - GWSS, egg masses, or Sharpshooter rain. Depending on what stage current research is at when you contact them, they may have other ideas about ways in which students can learn about the insect.
	[home][activities & events][compliant retailers][contact us][educational][faq] [how you can help][important links][press releases][reference][volunteer opportunities]