Bugspot -- Curriculum

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Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Educational Curriculum
For Primary School Classrooms (K-2)

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!

I. All About the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter

A. What is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter?

1. If possible, begin the unit by reading a book about insects out loud.

2. Ask students to list insects that live in this area. Write the names on the board. Ask students if they know what these insects do - bees spread pollen, caterpillars turn into butterflies, etc. It's doubtful the students will mention the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, with its long and difficult name.

3. Write Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter on the board and say it out loud. Talk about the three different words that make up its name, and what each of them means. Ask the students if they've ever seen one. If they say they have, ask them how big it is, what color, etc.

4. Have the students draw what they think the insect would look liked, based on its name.

5. Compare their drawings and ideas with the real thing. Show a large photo of the insect, or a slide. If possible, pass out a vial with a GWSS in it.

B. What does the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter do?

1. Ask the students if they can guess what the Sharpshooter does. Talk about their ideas and/or write them on the board.

2. 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.

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. Show the picture again and point out the stylus the insect uses to bore into plants.

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. If you like, ask a County inspector to come into your classroom and talk about his or her job!

2. Tell the students that today they are going to get to be just like the County inspectors.

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 or sports field, to use their GWSS kits. Keep them confined to a small and manageable area. 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.

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	Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Educational Curriculum For Primary School Classrooms (K-2)
	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! I. All About the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter A. What is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter? 1. If possible, begin the unit by reading a book about insects out loud. 2. Ask students to list insects that live in this area. Write the names on the board. Ask students if they know what these insects do - bees spread pollen, caterpillars turn into butterflies, etc. It's doubtful the students will mention the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, with its long and difficult name. 3. Write Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter on the board and say it out loud. Talk about the three different words that make up its name, and what each of them means. Ask the students if they've ever seen one. If they say they have, ask them how big it is, what color, etc. 4. Have the students draw what they think the insect would look liked, based on its name. 5. Compare their drawings and ideas with the real thing. Show a large photo of the insect, or a slide. If possible, pass out a vial with a GWSS in it. B. What does the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter do? 1. Ask the students if they can guess what the Sharpshooter does. Talk about their ideas and/or write them on the board. 2. 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. 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. Show the picture again and point out the stylus the insect uses to bore into plants. 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. If you like, ask a County inspector to come into your classroom and talk about his or her job! 2. Tell the students that today they are going to get to be just like the County inspectors. 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 or sports field, to use their GWSS kits. Keep them confined to a small and manageable area. 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.
	[home][activities & events][compliant retailers][contact us][educational][faq] [how you can help][important links][press releases][reference][volunteer opportunities]