Coloring Exercises for Insect Identification and Conservation Awareness

Elizabeth Dawnette Knowlton,Kerri Maureen Farnsworth-Hoback,Theresa Elizabeth Andrew,Andrine Adeline Shufran,William Wyatt Hoback

doi:10.11648/j.ijeedu.20190802.13

Elizabeth Dawnette Knowlton, Kerri Maureen Farnsworth-Hoback + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20190802.13

Copy DOI

Abstract

The Endangered Species Act in the United States of America currently protects more than 1,500 species, 74 of which are insects, including the american burying beetle (ABB) and the rusty patched bumble bee. Insects that are experiencing population declines, such as the monarch butterfly, are under consideration for protection. Awareness of biological diversity, the ability to recognize an endangered species, and understanding the conservation of beneficial insects can begin at an early age. We designed a coloring exercise to promote insect species awareness and introduced this activity to elementary and middle school students in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. We assessed students’ insect identification abilities by presenting a quiz on species diversity and ABB identification before and after the coloring exercise. Inspired by the quiz results, we created coloring templates for additional insect species, including the monarch butterfly, ladybird beetles, and bumble bees. These exercises will promote awareness of endangered species and improve science literacy in the classroom.

Highlights

Populations of many native insect species are declining in the United States of America (USA) and elsewhere in the world
The coloring exercise allowed students to learn how to identify the american burying beetle (ABB) based on pictorial or illustrative detail
Students tended not to identify the number of species present in Figure 3 even though they understood that the different colors and patterns of burying beetles could be used to identify different species

Summary

Introduction

Populations of many native insect species are declining in the United States of America (USA) and elsewhere in the world. Members of the general public are promoting insect conservation by participating in citizen science: a form of collaboration among community members and scientists [1,2,3,4]. The Lost Ladybug Project invites citizen scientists from across North America to monitor ladybird beetle populations. Other citizen science projects, including Monarch Watch (http://www.monarchwatch.org/) have contributed important monitoring data leading to a better understanding of rare or declining species. Participants were encouraged to color a blank beetle template (Figure 1), matching the pattern and markings to a given set of burying beetle species. Assessment of student learning after the coloring exercise indicated that students learned to identify the endangered ABB and differentiate other species of burying beetle. We emphasized that different markings indicate a different species and challenged students to identify the beetle he or she colored

ABB Quiz and Quiz Results

Methods

ABB Exercise

Findings

Discussions