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You will need Acrobat
Reader installed to open the activity sheets.
You will also need the latest version of the flash player to be able to play swf files.
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· the preferred habitat of small creatures such as cockroaches, woodlice
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.
· how to make a prediction and to test it in a realistic way.
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.
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Science:
QCA Unit 4b Habitats
· to pose questions about organisms and the habitat in which they live and make predictions
· to decide what evidence to collect and to design a fair test
· to make reliable observations of organisms
· to indicate whether their prediction was valid and to explain findings in scientific terms
Scientific enquiry
· to think about what might happen
· making a prediction
· making observations
· gathering and interpreting data
· deciding whether the evidence supports the prediction and suggesting explanations in terms of their knowledge of science.
· communicating ideas
Literacy
· speaking and listening - putting together a case for a choice and discussing it with a group
· persuasive writing - create a poster to support ideas
Numeracy
· Counting, partitioning and calculating - when carrying out surveys, calculate differences, e.g. between the numbers of different types of organisms found in different habitats.
· Calculating, measuring and understanding shape - use a grid of squares to plot habitats where organisms were found in a survey
· Securing number facts, relationships and calculating - sort animals according to own criteria. Select ways of recording their groupings. Where appropriate, use fractions to describe them, e.g. one quarter of the organisms are wood lice.
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· Display Page 1 of the activity through a data projector or on an OHT. Explain to the children that scientists have invented a robot cockroach that will lead cockroaches in any direction.
Discussion questions
- What do we know about cockroaches?
- Why might we want to have more control over them?
- Where do cockroaches usually like to go and why?
Leading the main activity
· Display Page 2 Page 1 of the activity through a data projector or on an OHT. Look at the key features of a cockroach.
· Display Page 3 through a data projector or on an OHT. Children to use whiteboards or paper. Explain to them that this is an experimental area designed to have four different areas representing different key features.
a) Warm & dark
b) Cold & dark
c) Warm & light
d) Cold & light
Children should predict by drawing crosses where they think the cockroaches will be after 1 minute. Children can show their prediction by drawing crosses on a sheet of paper or whiteboard and should be encouraged to explain the reasons for their predictions.
· The first part of Page 4 should be revealed to show results of investigation. Discuss differences from prediction. Why didn't all the cockroaches go to zone (a)?
· Now ask question - what do children think would happen if some food was placed in zone (d). Go through the same prediction and revelation sequence. Reveal Page 5.
· Now predict what will happen if roboroach decided to lead them to zone (d). Reveal Page 6.
· Finally reveal Page 7 as a humorous indicator that the robot cockroach could ultimately lead the cockroaches wherever it chose to go.
Optional practical investigation
The children can do a very similar activity with wood lice. Children can create a habitat with different areas, possibly damp, dark etc. They can repeat their predictions and record results.
They could then design an artificial wood louse and see if they will follow.
(Teachers need to consider health and safety issues and need to ensure that woodlice are treated with care and returned to their natural environment as soon as possible.)
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BBC News
The news story behind the activity
Essortment
Getting rid of cockroaches for good
How Stuff Works
Getting rid of cockroaches
BBC Science Clips
Activities around light and shadows
NPR
The story of the robotic cockroach influencing cockroach behaviour
Cockroaches
Information about cockroaches
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Write
your online review to share your feedback and classroom tips with other teachers. How well does it work, how engaging is it, how did you use it, and how could it be improved?
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