Watch the insects grow with us

The Project

This is a set of life and earth science based 3rd Grade Lessons and 5th Grade Lessons to accompany the month long process of raising and testing the effect of temperature change on Milkweed bugs in Fall. 

Each hands-on lesson builds off of the experiment set up during the first week in Lesson 1.1. Instructors are encouraged to teach 2 lessons each week for 4 weeks, or the duration of the experiment. Each week covers a different Next Generation Science Standard. Set aside approximately 30-60 minutes to do each lesson with your students

If you are an educator in the San Luis Obispo area and would like to try this experiment out with your 3rd grade students, please refer to the Contact page for information on how to check out a supply kit.

Why Milkweed Bugs?

Milkweed bugs or oncopeltus fasciatus are medium-sized "true bugs" who are native to North America and parts of Central America. They are great to use in elementary classrooms to teach about life and earth science because they:

• Have obvious and clear life cycles.
  
• Are brightly colored and have a recognizable pattern that is easy for children to replicate when creating models.
• Are relatively affordable.

• Are easy to maintain, needing only water and a small amount of sunflower seeds to survive.