Assess students’ understanding of pests and choosing environmentally healthy solutions.

• Make observations while circulating around the room to see whether students are engaged in the various discussions and to see if they are developing understanding of the topic.

• Individually assess if students completed the My Pest Worksheet activity and assess their understanding when they share their work with the class.

Read the tale of Peter Rabbit. Students may know this tale. Have them recall what Peter did that day in Mr. McGregor’s garden. “Even though Peter is a pretty cute rabbit he is a pest to Mr. McGregor.” Write the word pest on the board. “What is a pest?” Come up with different ideas. “Pests are not bad animals, insects, fungi or plants, but they are in the wrong place. Living things have basic needs. What are the basic needs?” Have partners discuss and then share with the class. “Animals have four basic needs: air, water, food and shelter. Living things need these to survive. Pests are unwanted and cause damage. In the story, what damage did Peter do? What could the farmer do to prevent damage?” Have students come up with solutions. One idea could be to fix the fence so no unwanted animals could get in.

Activity 1

“Have you ever been bitten by a mosquito? Treated your dog for fleas? Been stung by a bee? Saw dandelions in your yard? Have you ever had ants in your house? We’ve all been bugged at one time or another by pests.” Have students share experiences with pests. “Let’s make a list of different pests at home and school. A lot of time we think of pests as insects but there are other pests as well.” Your list might look like this: ant, wasp, squirrel, beetle, bee, bat, flea, fly, mosquito, mouse, moth, termite, rat, spider, or cockroach.

Hand out to students the My Pest Worksheet (S-K2-16-3_My Pest Worksheet.doc). Have students pick one pest from the list you made in the class discussion, write down the pest’s name in the first box, and write a sentence describing why it is a pest in the second box. Then draw a picture of it in the third box. Have students share their work with the class.

Show pictures of different pests and see if students can identify the pest and why it is a pest (S-K2-16-3_Pest Pictures.doc). Pest pictures and facts were taken from http://www.pestworldforkids.org. More pictures and facts can be found at that Web site.

“What are some ways for us to protect against pests?” Have students think of ideas. “There’s a better way to solve pest problems called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is choosing among various ways to treat pest problems. The goal is to cause least harm to the environment. The first step in IPM is to find the cause of the pest problem, figure out what they need to survive, and then monitor to see how many there are. Let’s look at our school. Some different pests here include insects, rodents, and weeds. We would need to make an unfavorable habitat for the pests by removing food, water, and eliminating their hiding spots. What could we do at school to solve this problem?” Information about IPM in schools can be found at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs82.pdf. Brainstorm possible solutions, such as to clean, create storage, close off holes, remove pests and, if necessary, use pesticides. “Pesticides are chemicals that are used to get rid of pests. You may also have seen labels that read ‘Dangerous’, ‘Poisonous’, a Mr. Yuk sticker or ‘Warning’ that you need to be careful with when dealing with pesticides. They can make you sick. You should never touch or eat pesticides.” Share with students pictures of different chemicals and poisons that you might see at home (S-K2-16-3_Chemicals and Poisons at Home.doc). Information about IPM and Pests can be found at the Pest Patrol Web site http://epa.gov/pesticides/kids/pestpatrol/. “Pesticides are used in many situations such as livestock farming, cropping, horticulture, forestry, home gardening, homes, hospitals, kitchens, roadsides, and recreational and industrial areas. You may have seen in your refrigerator or at the grocery store products that are labeled organic. Organic food producers use less or no pesticides when growing their products. Here are some scenarios when dealing with pesticides taken from Pest Patrol:

• Either take your shoes off at the door or wipe shoes carefully on a rug. How would this help?

• Always store pesticides in their original container. How would this help?

• Wash fruits and vegetables with water. Scrub them with a brush. How would this help?”

Have students work in small groups and discuss these questions about cutting back on using pesticides and controlling pests. Write these questions on the board and let students discuss as a large group or in small groups or pairs. Questions for the discussion include:

• “Do lawns and parks really need to be totally weed free?”

• “How do some insects help your lawn and plants?”

• “Do you need to get rid of all insects?”

• “Can you put up with fruits and vegetables that aren’t perfect-when they are grown without pesticides?”

• “Can you think of any pests that are pals?”

• “How do certain pests help us?”

Extension:

Here are activities for students who may need additional learning:

• Have students compile a list of pests and how they are controlled.

• Design a poster for a lower grade to explain the danger of pesticides.

Here are activities for students who may be going beyond the standards:

• Have students bring organic products into the classroom. Explore organic food and farming.

• Invite your school’s IPM director to discuss ways to eliminate pests in school and what students and their families can safely do at home.

• Have students research local pests and try to come up with environmentally friendly solutions.