Post by cnagle on Sept 29, 2010 21:57:04 GMT
Hi everyone.
I'm the one of the Science captains at my school, and as such, I do shows with my various invertebrates to the primary and secondary schools, and I now also want to incorporate CP's into that.
I was thinking of an interactive activity for the kids to do that would also help them learn about CP's so I though of this:
You give each child a blank Styrofoam cup and then provide them with a variety of materials, including a peristome analogue, various coloured markers, aluminum foil, honey, butter and multiple other materials, some useful, some not and then let them add what they think would make the trap more effective.
This should hopefully let them learn more about the biology of the pitchers and just how complicated they are.
After they have finished, then I can subject them to a variety of tests:
1 - Use a 'fly-eye'. These give you a vision similar to the compound vision of a fly (however it makes very little sense to us). This way only the most obvious and brightly coloured pitchers stick out. The more obvious, the more points.
2 - Test to see if they used honey or other types of attractant. If they did then full marks, if not the none.
3 - Test to see if they used any butter or oil on the inside of the pitcher to make it slippery. If yes then full marks, if no then none.
4 - Test to see how water resistant the pitchers are, did they attach a lid, what angle did they use, or did they create an overflow style slit like a heliamphora. T do this test, simply get a hose and spray it over all of the cups, lightly of course so they don't get knocked over.
The winner of this activity gets a choice between a Sarracenia, Drosera and Dionaea along with instructions for its care.
What do you guys think? I would give them a quick lesson about pitcher style traps before they start so they're not going in completely blind and then I can let their imaginations run wild.
I also have been given the go ahead to start a variety of CP displays across the school, I'm particularly focusing on Australian Natives.
Thanks for reading
Ciaran
I'm the one of the Science captains at my school, and as such, I do shows with my various invertebrates to the primary and secondary schools, and I now also want to incorporate CP's into that.
I was thinking of an interactive activity for the kids to do that would also help them learn about CP's so I though of this:
You give each child a blank Styrofoam cup and then provide them with a variety of materials, including a peristome analogue, various coloured markers, aluminum foil, honey, butter and multiple other materials, some useful, some not and then let them add what they think would make the trap more effective.
This should hopefully let them learn more about the biology of the pitchers and just how complicated they are.
After they have finished, then I can subject them to a variety of tests:
1 - Use a 'fly-eye'. These give you a vision similar to the compound vision of a fly (however it makes very little sense to us). This way only the most obvious and brightly coloured pitchers stick out. The more obvious, the more points.
2 - Test to see if they used honey or other types of attractant. If they did then full marks, if not the none.
3 - Test to see if they used any butter or oil on the inside of the pitcher to make it slippery. If yes then full marks, if no then none.
4 - Test to see how water resistant the pitchers are, did they attach a lid, what angle did they use, or did they create an overflow style slit like a heliamphora. T do this test, simply get a hose and spray it over all of the cups, lightly of course so they don't get knocked over.
The winner of this activity gets a choice between a Sarracenia, Drosera and Dionaea along with instructions for its care.
What do you guys think? I would give them a quick lesson about pitcher style traps before they start so they're not going in completely blind and then I can let their imaginations run wild.
I also have been given the go ahead to start a variety of CP displays across the school, I'm particularly focusing on Australian Natives.
Thanks for reading
Ciaran
