Pest management survey at Henry's Got Crops CSA
This lesson was planned and implemented for use in an AP Environmental Science class to provide an experience that would link content about biodiversity, pests, and pest management with a pest management survey at a local farm. This activity combines skills of insect and damaged vegetation collection and identification, supplemented by farmer interviews about their pests and pest management practices. This lesson provided a unique opportunity for students to survey the pests and pest management approaches of a local farm and allowed students to see the pests and practices firsthand.
Students split into groups to conduct interviews and collect insects and damaged vegetation. Once in the classroom, student shared the information they gathered with each other and summarized their findings on a worksheet. Students were all actively involved in the task assigned to them in the outdoor portion, but their engagement and focus decreased after they came inside to share the information they gathered.
If I were to repeat this lesson, I would take a longer time to complete the survey, allowing all students to be involved in each process and would introduce the content of the chapter as we receive data from the farm about each section (pests, pros and cons of pesticide use, & Integrated Pest Management). This would allow us to spend more time observing the pest management practices of farmers and could perhaps lead to student-led inquiry about pests or pest control.
Students split into groups to conduct interviews and collect insects and damaged vegetation. Once in the classroom, student shared the information they gathered with each other and summarized their findings on a worksheet. Students were all actively involved in the task assigned to them in the outdoor portion, but their engagement and focus decreased after they came inside to share the information they gathered.
If I were to repeat this lesson, I would take a longer time to complete the survey, allowing all students to be involved in each process and would introduce the content of the chapter as we receive data from the farm about each section (pests, pros and cons of pesticide use, & Integrated Pest Management). This would allow us to spend more time observing the pest management practices of farmers and could perhaps lead to student-led inquiry about pests or pest control.
Students surveyed the CSA in order to take an early spring inventory of insects and plant damage on the farm. One group interviewed workers at Henry's Got Crops' CSA in order to understand the pest management practices they utilize.
Below: Lesson plan and student examples of the pest survey worksheet.
