Stay Home Biodiversity – Sample Week B

Monday Activity – Animal Groups

Age Group: Senior Primary and Secondary

All animals can be sorted into a specific group. A robin is a bird, a fox is a mammal, a frog is an amphibian, etc. Insects are one of the biggest groups of animals in the world. More than half of all of the animals in the world we know about are insects! However, a lot of the things we call insects don’t really belong in this group. Which of the below animals are actually insects? Here are some clues to get you started. Insects lay eggs, they should have 3 pairs of legs (so 6 altogether), their bodies are split into 3 sections and they have a pair of antennae which they use for sensing what is around them.

SPIDER

Wrong!

WOODLOUSE

Wrong!

SNAIL

Wrong!

BUMBLEBEE

Correct!

CENTIPEDE

Wrong!

BUTTERFLY

Correct!

Why are these not insects?

A woodlouse is a crustacean, 14 legs (same group as a crab)

A spider is arachnid (8 legs, 2 body parts)

A snail is mollusc (one big foot)

A centipede is an arthropod (lots of legs and body parts)

Tuesday Activity- Origami Frogs

Age Group: Primary Senior and Secondary

Celebrate Save The Frogs Day with Green-Schools Travel Officer Allison by making origami jumping frogs and learning about Ireland’s only frog species, the Common Frog. Save the Frogs Day aims to raise awareness about these wonderful amphibians and everything they do for us. For more information on the Common Frog, check out the below link.

More on frogs!

 

Wednesday Activity – Nettle Fertiliser

Age Group: Secondary

This nettle plant feed has such a simple method and creates a great concentrated tomato-feed. Keep feeding nettles into a jar half filled with water, add more water as needed. The smell of the rotting nettles is mighty and its advised to wear a mask or scarf over your mouth and nose. The nettles rot to create a concentrated sludge. Mix with water in a 5:1 ratio and include every few weeks when feeding your crops.

Friday Share – How do Trees Stay Safe and Healthy?

Age Group: Senior Primary Secondary

Did you know that plants have lots of hidden talents? They may look like friendly but they have lots of amazing ways to defend themselves when they are in danger. They can send each other warning messages and even fight back when under attack from swarms of insects or germs. Watch this video to learn more.

How trees defend themselves