Year in Review: Bess Bugs in Class

Fall 2011
Environmental Science Class

Students in Metro's Environmental Science classes learned basic ecological principles and about the diversity of life on our planet this past fall. Students spent several weeks making observations in the field as well as experimenting in class with several different species of life including our friends, the Bess Bug and several species of Protozoans (fresh water invertibrates that live in pond water).

The students explored the world of the Bess Bug (which is a safe & friendly beetle species) including where they live, what they eat, and basic "bug" anatomy. They also experimented with the bess bug to learn about its super human strength. Like many other insect species the bess bug can lift or pull many times its own weight.

Students lassoud their bess bug with dental floss and created a chariot out of a petri dish. They then added pennies to their "chariots" to test the limits of their beetles strength. This activity was addapted from a publication provided by Carolina Biological Supply Company and the animals were also purchased from this supplier. They are a great supplier of live organisms for investigation.

Students were a bit skeptical of having live insects in the classroom but once they got cofortable with the Bess Bug students starting naming their beetles and calling them things like "cute." Overall it was a great experience for our students and hopefully helped them build an appreciation for nature that they will take with them after graduation.