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Day Four: Arrest That Pest!

Take a look and make a difference!

Approximate Time

• One to two class periods

Learning Objectives

• Conduct an EAB survey
• Report findings to ashdetective@purdue.edu

Preparation

• Make arrangements for the class outing (permission slips, chaperones, survey location, etc.).
• Print copies of Activity Sheet 4:  Arrest That Pest! Report Form, one per student
• Print copies of the Family Take-Home Flyer:  Arrest That Pest!, one copy per student.
• As a follow-up, make extra copies of the Report Form for students to take home.

Materials

• Emerald Ash Borer ID Cards, one per student (These can be downloaded or mailed to you from Purdue.)
• Arrest That Pest! Report Form, one per student
• One clipboard per student, if available
• Computer with Internet access (at least one)

Vocabulary

• survey
• data
• sighting

Teaching Tips

• If surveying in one small area, you may want to have students complete all, or most of the Report Form prior to, or when returning from, the outing. This way they can focus primarily on surveying without unnecessary distraction.

Part One

Introduction
Announce to the class that today they will have an opportunity to use their newly acquired knowledge to Arrest That Pest!. Kick off the day by working with the class to define the words survey, data, and sighting.

Discussion and Exploration

• Ask the students to remember why they are learning all about EAB. Discuss elicited answers briefly. Remind the students that to help slow the spread they should:
• Survey for the EAB from late spring through fall. They should survey all ash trees – in the schoolyard, parks, forests, or backyards…anywhere they go!
• Report all findings. Whenever they do an EAB survey, they should report – whether they see it, or not!
• Pass their Arrest That Pest! skills on to others. Teach their family and friends about EAB and encourage them to survey and report, too!

• Before going out to survey, remind them of the quarantine associated with EAB.

• Pass out one Emerald Ash Borer ID Card to each student, along with a copy of Activity Sheet 4:  Arrest That Pest! Report Form and a clipboard. Review the directions on the Report Form as a class.

Part Two

Go Beetle Busting!

Introduction  As the class prepares to go outside, make sure each student has a pencil or pen, an EAB Report Form, a clipboard or hard surface to write on, and an Emerald Ash Borer ID Card. Then, divide the class into small groups, according to the number of chaperones. Now the class is ready to Arrest That Pest!

Teacher Tips

• To ensure a safe and fun outing, it may be helpful to remind the class of the behavior expectations you have for them.

Activity

• Lead the class to an outside location that has ash trees. Walk through the surveying process as a whole-class activity. As you go, point out other types of places where the EAB might be seen.

• If possible, after surveying together as a class, split the class into small groups, and send them to different areas to survey on their own.

• When the students have finished surveying, return to the classroom to discuss what students observed. Fill out the Report Forms together. Ideally the class will submit its reports on-line at ashdetective@purdue.edu. If a computer is available, have the class observe as you model how to complete the online reporting form correctly. Then, have students use the computer to do their own reporting. (Designated computer lab time may be used for this activity.)

Wrap Up
After reporting is done, tell the class that you will have extra Report Forms available; encourage the students to take copies with them and to continue to survey at home, on the way to school, while playing in neighborhood parks, or during visits to other natural areas where ash trees are found. To encourage surveying beyond this lesson, you can assign this as homework. Hand out one Family Take-Home Flyer:  Arrest That Pest! to each student and encourage them to get their families involved today!