Iowa Invertebrates
More
than 97% of the animal species on Earth are invertebrates. Invertebrates are
small animals that do not have backbones. There are many types of
invertebrates, from fluid-filled jellyfish, and squishy earthworms to hard
shelled insects like beetles, and eight-legged arachnids. This fascinating and
diverse group of animals spans the globe – invertebrates live on every continent
and in every body of water!
BrainPOP:
Invertebrates
Science
for Kids: Invertebrates Poem
Creature Feature –
Dragonflies & Damselflies
There are
450 species of dragonflies and damselflies in North America and about 110 of
those call Iowa their home. Dragonflies and damselflies are similar to one another but can be
distinguished from each other by their size and by how they hold their wings at
rest. Dragonflies are larger and hold their wings out horizontally from their
body. Damselflies are smaller and hold their wings together above their body. Collectively
they are in the insect order Odonata.
Dragonfly
species have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. These giant
prehistoric dragonflies had wingspans over two feet wide!
Dragonflies
and damselflies usually live near bodies of water. The presence of dragonflies
and damselflies in aquatic ecosystems is a good indicator of a healthy
ecosystem.
Adult
dragonflies feed on other, smaller insects, catching them mid-flight.
Dragonflies
and damselflies lay their eggs in the water or on vegetation near or above the
water. The young are fully aquatic and are called nymphs. Nymphs are voracious
predators and eat other aquatic organisms, including other juvenile insects,
and even small fish. The nymphs will grow and molt several times before their
final molt when they will become a flying adult.
Iowa
Odonata Survey
Odes for
Beginners
Dragonfly Activities
Show
children pictures of dragonflies and damselflies and ask them if they have ever
seen these insects. What do they know about them? What would they like to know?
Make a chart of their responses. Read
books about dragonflies and damselflies.
Discover the answers to their questions together. Using craft supplies
build dragonflies or dragonflies. Some good supplies to have would be pipe
cleaners, tissue paper, googly eyes, etc. Hang their creations from the ceiling
over you reading or science center.
Cut lily
pad shapes out of cardboard or other durable material. Paint green. Place them
on the floor approximately 12 inches apart. Have the children pretend they are
dragonflies or damselflies and flit from lily pad to lily pad. Ask the children
to hop, jump, skip etc…
Check with
your local County Conservation Board for assistance from a Naturalist and plan
dragonfly/damselfly walk to a local body of water. Observe any dragonflies or
damselflies you see. Using nets and containers check the water for dragonfly
nymphs.
Dragonfly
Learning Activities for Preschool
Book List
Allen, J., and T. Humphries.
2004. Are You a Dragonfly? Kingfisher.
Amery, H. and T. Gibbons. 1997. Dragonflies.
Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Bernhard,
E., and D. Bernhard. 1993. Dragonfly. Holiday
House, Inc.
Glaser, L.
2008. Dazzling Dragonflies: A Life Cycle
Story. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson,
J. 2013. What’s it like to be a
DRAGONFLY? Riverstream Publishing, Inc.
Kavanagh,
J. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies. Waterford
Press Ltd.
Nikula,
B., et al. 2002. Stokes Beginner’s Guide
to Dragonflies. Little, Brown and Company.
Pringle,
L., and B. Marshall. 2001. A Dragon in
the Sky: The Story of a Green Darner Dragonfly. Scholastic, Inc.
Rice, R.
H., and G. Torrisi. 1996. Dragonflies. Owen,
Richard C. Publishers, Inc.
Rinehart,
S. C., and A. C. Hovemann. 2004. Eliza
and the Dragonfly. Dawn Publications.
Rosman, S.
S., and G. Carmi. 1992. Deena the
Damselfly. URJ Press.
Sexton, C.
2008. Damselflies. Scholastic Library
Publishing.
For
factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:
IDNR: Education – Classroom
Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets
and activity sheets!)
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