Developed by INSTAAR (Timothy Seastedt, Emily Krall,
David Knochel) in collaboration with BVSD teachers Kim
Greene and Dan Tomlin at Manhattan Middle School
 Life cycles of plants
 Dalmatian Toadflax
 Spotted Knapweed
 Life cycles of insects
 Mencinus janthinus
 Larinus minutus
 Interaction between the life cycles of plants and insects
 Advantages:
 Uses local examples
 Eliminates hard to
manage development of
caterpillar
 Eliminates coordination
of Fast Plant growth
with the caterpillar
 Replaces with easy to
store and use
plant/insect dissection
 Highlights current CU
science research
 Introduces the
environmental threat of
non-native invasive
species
 Discusses the strategies
of land management,
including biological
controls
 Lesson 1.1
 Introduction to topic
 Lesson 1.2
 Dissection of dandelion
 Lesson 1.3
 Review HW assignment
 Life cycle card game
 Lesson 1.4
 Knapweed and toadflax dissections
 Introduce students to the life cycles of plants and
insects and how they interact
 Venn diagram
 Students discuss their findings in table groups
 Discuss the area where plant and insect cycles overlap
 Introduce term “invasive species” to students
 What is an invasive species or weed?
 Discuss characteristics of an invasive weed: large seed
bank, can survive with few resources, etc.
 Dissect dandelions
 Identify parts of the plant: root, stem, leaves, flower,
seed
 Make scientific drawings, give opportunity to look at
plant under microscope
 Review “invasion of the soil grabbers” homework
assignment
 Look at graph results on projector, discuss what the
graph shows
 Life cycle cards
 Students put cards in order of insect and plant life cycles
 Discuss mistakes that students make and describe
correct order
Non-native invasive annual grasses and forbs
16.0
% of ground covered
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
 Dissect Knapweed seed heads
 Find Larinus minutus insects in the seed heads
 Identify different stages:
 Larvae, pupa, adult
 Dissect Dalmatian Toadflax stems
 Find Mencinus janthinus
 Identify different stages:
 Larvae, pupa, adult
 Debrief dissections
 Reiterate how plants and insects coexist and need each
other to survive. Also review life cycles of both.
 Discuss the potential negative impacts of biological
controls and why these examples are scientifically sound
 Tested in a lab for 5 years before introduced, first introduced
in a closed environment, host-specific to knapweed and
toadflax
 Be sure students understand the environmental
consequences of invasive species
 Average Pre-test Score: 8.48
 Average Post-test Score: 10.80
 Average Change: 2.33
 Average percent increase in score: 16%
 Range: 11% to 23%
 Improvements…
 Insect life cycles
 Adaptions for other grades…
 What did you learn?
 “I learned that invasive plants are steadily rising in
growth each year”
 “I learned that some insects live in plants.”
 “I learned about the insect and plant life cycle.”
 “I learned that beetles inside invasive plants are killing
the plant and eating the inside.”
 Emily Krall—Outreach Coordinator at INSTAAR
 Emily.krall@colorado.edu
 Kim Greene—Science teacher at Manhattan Middle
School
 Kim.greene @bvsd.org
 Dan Tomlin—Science teacher at Manhattan Middle
School
 dan.tomlin@bvsd.org