{"id":94,"date":"2022-01-13T11:17:25","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T16:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev4.legawebdesign.com\/?page_id=94"},"modified":"2025-05-28T17:12:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T21:12:32","slug":"ladybug-aug-sept","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/horizon-research.com\/sbpscience\/ladybugs-at-school\/ladybug-aug-sept\/","title":{"rendered":"Ladybugs at School, 1: August & September"},"content":{"rendered":"

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1: August & September<\/h2>\n

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Orienting to Ladybugs at School<\/h4>\n

Purpose: In this launch of the Ladybugs at School (LaS) project, students are introduced to how to collect ladybugs and record data. Students will begin to make sense of the observable differences among various species of ladybugs using a field guide for identification. Students will compare ladybugs and other insects by collecting and photographing ladybugs. Students will learn how to share ladybug data with others by recording and uploading their sightings to iNaturalist. These activities prepare students for their yearlong exploration of ladybug species and their role in ecosystems.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Orient students to the overall project by introducing the role they will be taking on as stewards of their schoolyard, with a focus on ladybugs in particular. Stewardship may be a new term for students, so it will be important to explain how in Ladybugs at School, students will be responsible for monitoring their school grounds in order to determine whether schoolyards can act as habitat for native ladybugs in the US. Another project, Lost Ladybug, includes a<\/span> 9-spotted ladybug origin story<\/span><\/a> to introduce the idea that many native ladybug species are in decline in the United States, which may be a helpful example to share with students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Set general expectations for <\/span>outdoor learning<\/span><\/a> and protocols for finding and photographing ladybugs.Throughout the month, students will look for ladybugs, collect and photograph ladybugs, being careful to handle the ladybugs gently and release them after they are photographed. <\/span>Help students understand what information is needed to complete the Ladybugs at School Data Recording Sheet (<\/span>PDF<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>editable form<\/span><\/a>) and enter data on iNaturalist (see Science support below) including location,<\/span>\"\"temperature, weather conditions, and total ladybugs found.<\/span>\u00a0After carefully surveying your schoolyard, determine where to conduct a class search and provide ample time for students to explore the designated area. Students will continue to search outside for ladybugs (ideally, twice a month). In future searches, you will offer opportunities for students to discuss the significance of not finding ladybugs and finding insects other than ladybugs. Keep in mind that even if your class is unsuccessful in finding ladybugs, <\/span>purchasing ladybugs from scientific supply companies is not advised<\/b>, because it could have negative environmental implications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduce students to a <\/span>ladybug field guide<\/span><\/a> (or ladybug identification sheet) describing how it is used to identify specific species of ladybugs. As a class, discuss how students might identify the ladybugs using the field guide characteristics such as thorax patterns, size, color, and location. Provide time for students to practice identifying ladybugs with pictures (e.g., <\/span>Name that Ladybug<\/span><\/a>). Focus on ladybug<\/span> anatomy, characteristics<\/span><\/a> (e.g., patterns on the thorax), and stages of their life cycle to encourage <\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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Not finding ladybugs? <\/b>There may be times when no ladybugs are found during an outdoor exploration and may prove disappointing for students, but it is important to record these data on your recording sheets nonetheless.<\/span> Remember that reporting for each search conducted, whether ladybugs have been found or not, is important scientific data.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How do you record a \u201czero\u201d or \u201cno ladybugs found\u201d? <\/b>When using the data recording sheet, complete the form and record an \u201cx\u201d on the bottom of the sheet where it says, \u201cmake an X here if you looked for ladybugs but did not find any.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Standards + Practices<\/h4>\n

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DCI: <\/b>LS2.A Interdependent relationships in ecosystems<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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CCC: <\/b>Patterns<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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SP3:<\/strong> Planning and carrying out investigations
Students will be introduced to the overarching questions of the project and consider what data they can collect to address the questions. Students will learn about protocols for outdoor learning and collecting data to help them plan and carry out this investigation for the rest of the school year.<\/em><\/p>\n

SP1:<\/strong> Asking questions and defining problems
Students will have opportunities to ask clarifying questions about the overarching questions of the project and features that help identify ladybugs.<\/em><\/p>\n

SP8:<\/strong> Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Students will use the Ladybugs at School data recording sheet to share data on the iNaturalist website about ladybugs they find on their school grounds.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Resources + Supports<\/h4>\n

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Overarching Questions<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ms. Jones Supports Data Collection and Recording<\/a><\/p>\n

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Getting Started With Identifying Ladybugs<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ladybug Field Guide<\/a><\/p>\n

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Native and Non-Native species<\/a><\/p>\n

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Getting Started With Data Collection<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ladybug Identification<\/a><\/p>\n

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Overarching Questions<\/h3>\n

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This year, your students will serve as stewards of the ladybugs in their schoolyard to increase the number of ladybugs because the presence of ladybugs can indicate to us the environmental health of our school grounds. Students will contribute data to the Ladybugs at School project in iNaturalist and conduct searches to see how many ladybugs are present at this time, where they tend to be, and under what conditions. Using their findings from repeated searches of the school grounds, students will draw conclusions about the condition of the school environment. Students will get a sense of how ladybugs respond to changing conditions and what conditions are most suitable for ladybugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data you collect in your schoolyard and comparisons you make in your data will help students explore these questions. We have provided support later in the year to address these questions, but it is helpful to discuss them with your students early on (and even post them in your classroom) so that they have them in mind as they participate in Ladybugs at School. As a class, make predictions about what students will find related to these two questions. These predictions will be revisited throughout the year as students come to understand more about ladybugs and the factors influencing their presence or absence in particular areas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Note that how you collect your data may matter as you answer this question, i.e. if you have different numbers of students collecting at different times and in different locations on your school grounds every time you collect, it may impact your results. As you explore the overarching questions, it is useful to consider how you collected your data on any given day, as this will help you interpret your findings.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Frame your data collection as a means of answering two overarching scientific questions throughout the year:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

1. How does the presence of ladybugs change across the school year? What might explain those changes?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

a. Which species of ladybugs do we find at our school? Are they native, non-native, or both?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

b. What features of our school grounds make the space habitable\/uninhabitable for native ladybugs?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. How can we improve the habitat for ladybugs in our schoolyard? <\/b><\/p>\n

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Ms. Jones Supports Data Collection and Recording<\/h3>\n

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Ms. Jones\u2019 students are experiencing success in finding ladybugs on their school grounds; however, she notices that students are having trouble completing the <\/span>Ladybugs at School <\/span>Data Recording form (<\/span>PDF<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>editable form<\/span><\/a>). Ms. Jones knows it will be problematic when later entering these data on the Ladybugs at School website and later on in the school year when they need to make sense of their data to respond to the overarching questions. Ms. Jones reminds students of the importance of consistently and accurately recording data so that it can be shared and used by others. She revisits each section of the recording sheet with students, reviewing the categories. Describing where searches have taken place has been challenging for students because they are not sure how specific to be in their descriptions. Ms. Jones suggests thinking about both abiotic and biotic factors as references using various playground structures and vegetation as reference points. As a class, they identify where the different types of vegetation (e.g., bushes\/shrubs, woods\/trees) can be found on their school grounds. She provides an example from their most recent search when students found one ladybug in their school garden and one on a shrub.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ms. Jones also anticipates that after she introduces the <\/span>Ladybugs at School<\/span> field guide to her class, students will be overwhelmed by all of the different features used to identify ladybugs. Ms. Jones intentionally models how to think through ladybug identification by using a ladybug she photographed the previous week. She starts by focusing students\u2019 attention on the thorax of the ladybug and noting the W shape on the thorax. Using the field guide, Ms. Jones points out that two ladybugs are known for having a W shape on their thorax: the Asian Multicolored Ladybug and 15-Spot Ladybug. To figure out which of the two her ladybug is, Ms. Jones refers to the descriptions on the field guide and notices that the sides of the thorax are white and that the ladybug is orange with 11 spots. Based on these observations, Ms. Jones concludes that the ladybug she found is an Asian Multicolored Ladybug. She points out to students that if she had only looked at the spots, it would have been easy for her to misidentify her ladybug because many ladybug species have a variable number and shape\/size of spots, but combining this information with observations of a ladybug\u2019s thorax is helpful for identification because of the unique characteristics of the thorax for each species. <\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Objectives” module_id=”sciactivities” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”35px|||||” border_width_top=”8px” border_color_top=”#cc232f” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” admin_label=”Module Heading with Icon” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||1px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 10%!important;” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/horizon-research.com\/tl4cs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Asset-20.png” title_text=”Asset 20″ show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text module_id=”support-title” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”EB Garamond||||||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#454545″ header_font_size=”42px” header_line_height=”2.2em” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#454545″ header_3_font_size=”26px” header_line_height_tablet=”1.2em” header_line_height_phone=”1.2em” header_line_height_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Getting Started With Identifying Ladybugs<\/h3>\n

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The following activities are great ways to engage student interest and motivation as they begin identifying ladybugs. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Name that Ladybug!<\/h4>\n

Show students the<\/span> pictures of ladybugs<\/span><\/a> and ask them to choose one to name. They can name them however they would like but need to provide reasoning for the name they choose. Have students share their names and reasoning. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Can you spot the difference?<\/h4>\n

Look at the<\/span> pictures of ladybugs on the slides provided<\/span><\/a> and try to find what is different about each image. <\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/horizon-research.com\/sbpscience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-28-160435.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-05-28 160435″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”|700||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”#cc232f” header_4_font_size=”16px” header_4_letter_spacing=”1px” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Anatomical Features <\/h4>\n

Start by asking students to think about the ladybug\u2019s anatomical features they notice. Record student responses and classify them into categories (e.g. coloration, size, body shape, wings). Page 2 of the <\/span>All About Ladybugs PDF<\/span><\/a> resource explains the life cycle of a ladybug, and Page 3 explains the <\/span>anatomy<\/span><\/a> of a ladybug. <\/span>This<\/span><\/a> resource shows students that ladybugs are insects, and more specifically beetles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If students have completed the Name That Ladybug! activity, look for connections between their reasoning for particular names and the anatomical features of ladybugs. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Ladybug Field Guide<\/h3>\n

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To assist students in identifying the ladybugs they find, the following field guide has been created highlighting common ladybugs of North America: <\/span>Common Ladybugs of US Field Guide<\/span><\/a>. This document provides a picture, the common and scientific names, a brief description, as well as a label for exotic (non-native) and native species for each ladybug (If possible, it would be helpful to print color copies and laminate them for student use.). As students use this guide to identify the ladybugs they have found, have them pay particular attention to the color and design on the ladybug\u2019s thorax and its overall color, rather than just counting the number of spots. It is much easier to identify a ladybug by the design on its thorax than the number of spots!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As this might be the first time a student is using a field guide, it is helpful to review each part of the guide. Use photographs taken to practice before using live specimens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In this activity, students will use the field guide and photographs of ladybugs to identify the species they are and generate questions regarding the species. Consider using pictures from the earlier activities <\/span>Can You Spot the Difference?<\/span><\/a> and\/or <\/span>Name That Ladybug!<\/span><\/a> to inspire students to generate questions:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n