Outdoor Light Sources and their Attractibility to Nocturnal Insects
Initial Publication Date: September 16, 2008
Summary
In this field exploration, student teams (consisting of 3 students) will investigate whether incandescent, fluorescent, or a no-light situation will attract the most nocturnal insects. The class will develop the question to be tested and then will determine how the insects will be collected and what materials will be needed. Student groups will then write multiple hypotheses, which must include a null hypothesis. Collection of the insects will take place at the home of one student in the group. All groups will bring their traps to class so data can be collected, analyzed and compared. From the collected data student groups will determine which hypothesis was supported from their test data. Students will also produce a scientific method format report which must include data tables and a graph of the analyzed information.
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Learning Goals
LEARNING GOALS
This activity is designed to increase:
1. Critical thinking and question development skills.
2. Observation skills
3. Field techniques.
4. Evaluation, analyze and graphing of data.
5. Understanding of animal behaviors and how those behaviors can be manipulated.
CONCEPTS
1. Innate animal behaviors
2. Disturbance of behaviors because of external stimuli.
3. Interactions that animals have with external stimuli.
VOCABULARY
Scientific investigation
Diversity
Nocturnal
Innate behavior
External stimuli
Interdependence
Disturbance
This activity is designed to increase:
1. Critical thinking and question development skills.
2. Observation skills
3. Field techniques.
4. Evaluation, analyze and graphing of data.
5. Understanding of animal behaviors and how those behaviors can be manipulated.
CONCEPTS
1. Innate animal behaviors
2. Disturbance of behaviors because of external stimuli.
3. Interactions that animals have with external stimuli.
VOCABULARY
Scientific investigation
Diversity
Nocturnal
Innate behavior
External stimuli
Interdependence
Disturbance
Context for Use
Grade Level: High School Biology
Class Size: Variable (but in groups of 3)
Time: (3) class periods (one day on development of class question and testing procedures, one day for data collection and analysis and one day to write lab report).
Type of Activity: Field exercise
Equipment: Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs (one of each for each lab group),
Clear adhesive contact paper, hand lens and construction paper.
Class Size: Variable (but in groups of 3)
Time: (3) class periods (one day on development of class question and testing procedures, one day for data collection and analysis and one day to write lab report).
Type of Activity: Field exercise
Equipment: Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs (one of each for each lab group),
Clear adhesive contact paper, hand lens and construction paper.
Description and Teaching Materials
Background Information for Students:
Research has found that nocturnal insects are extremely sensitive to outdoor lighting. The use of this outdoor lighting has been proven to cause a disturbance in the normal innate behaviors of most nocturnal insect orders, so much so that decreases in a number of populations are occurring. The innate behavior disturbances interfere in their feeding, mating, vision, migration and circadian rhythm patterns. It also increases the likelihood of them being prey to other nocturnal animals (because they are grouped in one place). Incandescent and fluorescent bulbs are the most widely used outdoor light types. Each bulb emits different wavelengths of light. Incandescent bulbs have a wavelength which produces a yellow/green coloration. Fluorescent bulbs have wavelengths that are red/orange in coloration and insects are actually most attracted to blue/violet wavelength colorations.
**This information will be presented to students at the beginning of the activity.
Materials Needed:
One fluorescent 15 watt bulb
One incandescent 60 watt bulb (these watts are equal in strength)
Three 18" wide x 24" long clear adhesive contact paper pieces
Six sheets of construction paper (to attach to the adhesive side of the contact paper after conclusion of experimentation. This is done so the contact, with the attached insects, can be transported back to school)
Hand lens and/or stereoscope for viewing insects.
Procedure:
1. Students will be put into groups of 3 (at least 1 student in the group needs to have at least 2 outdoor lights on the outside of their residence).
2. The main idea of the lab will be presented to students using the background information listed earlier. Each group will brainstorm a question around which an experiment can be built. All questions will be put on the SmartBoard.
3. The class will then decide which of the submitted questions will be the title of our lab experiment (this usually leads to some debate about what will be testable and what is not).
4. Student groups will then write multiple hypotheses (what could all possible conclusions be) and a null hypothesis. Each group will do this individually, not as a class.
5. Groups will then list their dependent and independent variables as well as their control.
6. A list of materials will need to be included in their write-up.
7. The class will determine the procedure for the lab testing. All groups will need to carry out the same procedure at their testing sites.
8. The class will also develop a data collection tool to be used once the experiment has been completed.
9. Each group will need to cut (3) 18" x 24" pieces of the clear adhesive contact paper. They will also pick up (1) 15 watt fluorescent bulb and (1) 60 watt incandescent bulb.
10. The student that will take the items home for testing will set up the contact paper by the outdoor lights plus one piece that is in an area on the house with no light source. These will be set up overnight. The next morning they should be pulled down and construction paper will be put onto the sticky side so they can be transported back to school.
11. Once in the classroom student groups will count the number of insects on each sheet of contact paper. These numbers should be written into the data table. They will get results from the other groups to do a large group sampling also.
12. From the results student groups will compute end results, analyze the results, graph the data and decide which of their multiple hypotheses was supported by the data and why.
13. I also like students to discuss where error may have occurred in our experimentation plus ideas for further study or experimentation.
Research has found that nocturnal insects are extremely sensitive to outdoor lighting. The use of this outdoor lighting has been proven to cause a disturbance in the normal innate behaviors of most nocturnal insect orders, so much so that decreases in a number of populations are occurring. The innate behavior disturbances interfere in their feeding, mating, vision, migration and circadian rhythm patterns. It also increases the likelihood of them being prey to other nocturnal animals (because they are grouped in one place). Incandescent and fluorescent bulbs are the most widely used outdoor light types. Each bulb emits different wavelengths of light. Incandescent bulbs have a wavelength which produces a yellow/green coloration. Fluorescent bulbs have wavelengths that are red/orange in coloration and insects are actually most attracted to blue/violet wavelength colorations.
**This information will be presented to students at the beginning of the activity.
Materials Needed:
One fluorescent 15 watt bulb
One incandescent 60 watt bulb (these watts are equal in strength)
Three 18" wide x 24" long clear adhesive contact paper pieces
Six sheets of construction paper (to attach to the adhesive side of the contact paper after conclusion of experimentation. This is done so the contact, with the attached insects, can be transported back to school)
Hand lens and/or stereoscope for viewing insects.
Procedure:
1. Students will be put into groups of 3 (at least 1 student in the group needs to have at least 2 outdoor lights on the outside of their residence).
2. The main idea of the lab will be presented to students using the background information listed earlier. Each group will brainstorm a question around which an experiment can be built. All questions will be put on the SmartBoard.
3. The class will then decide which of the submitted questions will be the title of our lab experiment (this usually leads to some debate about what will be testable and what is not).
4. Student groups will then write multiple hypotheses (what could all possible conclusions be) and a null hypothesis. Each group will do this individually, not as a class.
5. Groups will then list their dependent and independent variables as well as their control.
6. A list of materials will need to be included in their write-up.
7. The class will determine the procedure for the lab testing. All groups will need to carry out the same procedure at their testing sites.
8. The class will also develop a data collection tool to be used once the experiment has been completed.
9. Each group will need to cut (3) 18" x 24" pieces of the clear adhesive contact paper. They will also pick up (1) 15 watt fluorescent bulb and (1) 60 watt incandescent bulb.
10. The student that will take the items home for testing will set up the contact paper by the outdoor lights plus one piece that is in an area on the house with no light source. These will be set up overnight. The next morning they should be pulled down and construction paper will be put onto the sticky side so they can be transported back to school.
11. Once in the classroom student groups will count the number of insects on each sheet of contact paper. These numbers should be written into the data table. They will get results from the other groups to do a large group sampling also.
12. From the results student groups will compute end results, analyze the results, graph the data and decide which of their multiple hypotheses was supported by the data and why.
13. I also like students to discuss where error may have occurred in our experimentation plus ideas for further study or experimentation.
Teaching Notes and Tips
I developed this experiment in another class I took this summer. I have not tried it with students yet but I did make modification to help it fit into a classroom situation.
Share your modifications and improvements to this activity through the Community Contribution Tool »
Assessment
Lab reports from each group that follows the science department writing format will be graded. This must also include contact sheets plus a graph.
Standards
I.B. (Scientific inquiry) Benchmarks 1-4 (Experimental design, quantitative vs. qualitative, use of math to analyze data, identifying possible sources of error).
IV. C. (Interdependence of life) Benchmark 4 (Change in an ecosystem can affect a population).
IV. B (Diversity of organisms) Benchmark 2 (Organisms have both innate and learned behaviors in response to stimuli).
IV. C. (Interdependence of life) Benchmark 4 (Change in an ecosystem can affect a population).
IV. B (Diversity of organisms) Benchmark 2 (Organisms have both innate and learned behaviors in response to stimuli).