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What's the best way to get rid of mosquitoes?
Circle of Life Unit | Lesson 2 of 5
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What's the best way to get rid of mosquitoes?

Circle of Life Unit | Lesson 2 of 5
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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DISCUSS:

How do you think mosquitoes could be dangerous?

Hint...

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DISCUSS:

Why do you think there are more mosquitoes in tropical places?

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DISCUSS:

Given what you’ve learned about mosquitoes and their life cycle, what are some suggestions you would give people to help them avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes after a rainy spring?

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Anchor Connection Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart. Have any questions been answered by this lesson?
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In the past lesson, you learned that mosquitoes go through life cycles just like all other animals do. Mosquitoes are born as larva, and then grow into adults. Discuss. Which stages of the life cycle are missing from this picture?
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Once mosquitoes become adults, they can lay eggs. Baby mosquito larva hatch from those eggs, which starts a new life cycle. The mosquito life cycle only lasts for a few weeks from start to finish. They have a very short life cycle.
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Most mosquitoes go through another very different cycle that is even shorter. It is a cycle of hiding and coming out. It only takes one day. It happens day after day. Read, then discuss. When do mosquitoes hide? When do they come out?
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Most mosquitoes come out at sunset and stay out until the next morning. This is why the hiker got the most bites at sunrise and sunset—that is when mosquitoes are out. The mosquitoes hide and rest during the day. Then the cycle repeats, over and over.
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These bats have a similar cycle that repeats every day and night. They sleep all day and come out at night. Animals that sleep all day and come out at night are called nocturnal. Nocturnal animals follow the opposite sleep cycle that people do!
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The bats go into caves during the day to rest. This is how they look when they are in a cave. They hold onto the ceiling of the cave and rest. It is usually very dark in this cave during the day, but scientists brought a light in to take this picture.
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Step
01/03
Get your Spotting Cycles worksheet. Remember: on this sheet, we are listing all of the cycles we can find.
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Step
02/03
In the Bat Cycles box, add what you learned about the day/night cycle that bats follow. Be sure to mention what the bats do at night, and where they rest during the day. You can use words, drawings, or both.
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Step
03/03
Save your Spotting Cycles worksheet. You will update it after the next lesson in this unit.
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disease


1 of 12

a condition that makes a living thing unhealthy; illness or sickness
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malaria


2 of 12

a disease of the blood caused by parasites that are carried by mosquitoes
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parasite


3 of 12

a living thing that lives in or on another living thing and gets nutrients from it
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metamorphosis


4 of 12

a process where an animal's body transforms dramatically, such as a caterpillar turning into a butterfly

larva


5 of 12

a life stage between egg and pupa for living things that go through metamorphosis
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pupa


6 of 12

a life stage between larva and adult for animals that go through metamorphosis
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life cycle


7 of 12

the stages of life, including birth, growth, reproduction, and death
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swamp


8 of 12

a habitat covered in water and filled with many trees
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observe


9 of 12

to pay close attention to something
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design


10 of 12

to make a plan for creating or doing something
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constraint


11 of 12

something that limits what you can do
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engineer


12 of 12

a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Lesson details

Grade 3

Life Cycles

Environmental Change & Engineering

3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-2

8945 reviews

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students investigate mosquito life cycles and habitats and discover the role of mosquitoes in carrying diseases such as malaria. In the activity, Bug Off!, students evaluate the merits of different solutions for getting rid of mosquitoes at various locations in a town. Students design a solution to help the town deal with an abundance of mosquitoes resulting from a very rainy summer.
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Bug Off! Backyard worksheet 30 copies
Bug Off! Picnic Area worksheet 30 copies
Bug Off! Playground worksheet 30 copies
Problem Solver’s Sheet worksheet 30 copies
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs so they can share their ideas with a partner. Homeschool students can work on their own.

We have provided three Bug Off! worksheets, each picturing a different location in town. In a class, we suggest giving students a choice of which site they’d like to work with. You could also choose to have everyone come up with a solution for the same site. If students finish early, you can have them work on other sites so they can think of multiple solutions to the mosquito problem.

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Exploration

21 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins

Lesson details

Grade 3

Life Cycles

Environmental Change & Engineering

3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-2

8945 reviews

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Circle Of Life Lesson 2: What's the best way to get rid of mosquitoes?

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