Tick Kit Brought to you by the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission
and a grant from State Farm Insurance
The Tick Kit contains a series of labs and lessons using the Tick as the central focus.
Lessons
Microscope Activities –
1.Ticks
2. Microscopic Measurement
Readings
A Quick Guide to Lyme Disease – pamphlet (with worksheet)
Be Tick Free – Newspaper supplement
Tick ‐ Book
Comparing Tick and human body systems
This Kit includes: (Please be sure to return all items)
12 tick larva slides 12 tick adult slides 12 grid slides
1 Copy of all lessons (paper) 1 Copy of all lessons (disk)
12 Copies – Tick Book 2 Copies ‐ Lyme disease book
40 Copies of “A Quick Guide to Lyme Disease 10 Copies of “Be Tick Free” Newspaper
A Quick Guide to Lyme Disease
Use the Pamphlet – A Quick Guide to Lyme Disease – to answer the following questions.
1. Lyme disease is a ___________________caused by a ___________________.
2. What are some symptoms of the early stages of Lyme disease? _________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. How do you get Lyme disease?____________________________________________________
4. Is a tick an insect?_____________
5. How do ticks get their food?______________________________________________________
6. What should you do if you get bitten by a tick? _______________________________________
7. List 3 ways you can protect yourself from Lyme disease.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson Title: Body Systems of a tick
Lesson Abstract: Students will compare body systems of a tick and human.
Length of lesson: 30‐40 min
Lesson Goals: Students will describe differences and similarities in how organisms are adapted to survive
Lesson Objectives: SWBAT compare and contrast organ systems of ticks and humans
Assessment of Objectives: Students will complete packet
Preparation: Copies of packet
Materials: none
Background Information: Ticks represent an animal that is very different from a human. Yet they also must adapt to carry out the basic life functions.
Lesson Plan:
Intro What must all living things do to survive?
Do all living things do these things in the same way?
Today we will compare how ticks and humans carry out some of these basic life functions.
Group Work In groups of 2, students complete the packets.
(Alternative) Groups of students could each be assigned one system. Then groups could split up in Jigsaw fashion and teach each other about the system they reviewed.
QA When groups are done review packet questions.
Closure 1. Discuss the idea of adaptation.
2. Discuss what students found most interesting.
Tick References
www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/lyme/fact_sheet.htm
http://w2.health.state.ny.us/query.html?qt=tick
Tick illustration – before and after blood meal
http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/image/tick04.htm
Animation – Removing Tick
http://www.tickencounter.org/education/videos/clean_removal.mov
http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/biology/units/biodiv/images.html
http://www.tickpicture.com/information/tick‐life‐cycle.html
www.albanycounty.com/.../TickLifeCycleColor.jpg
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/medical/tick_lifecycle.htm
www.westernpest.com/.../tick‐lifecycle.jpg
The Tick – A look at the body systems and structures
What are ticks?
Ticks are small animals. Ticks range in size from smaller than a sesame seed to the size of a pea. Many ticks are parasites. (Parasites obtain their food by living off of other living things)
Ticks Humans Kingdom Animal Animal Phylum Arthropod‐ exoskeleton, jointed
legs Chordata‐ have back supporting structure
Class Arachnids – have 8 legs Mammals‐ have two pairs of limbs, hair
1. Respiration
Arachnids may have book lungs or tracheal tubes.
Book Lungs contain 15‐20 plates (pages) that contain tiny blood vessels. Air enters the through slits in the abdomen and pass over the plates. Carbon dioxide and Oxygen are exchanged.
Tracheal tubes are microscopic air ducts that branch throughout the Arachnids
body.
Other arthropods have tracheal tubes. Notice how they line the body and bring gasses in and out through tiny tubes.
2. Circulation
Ticks have a simple heart and an open circulatory system. In an open circulatory system the blood does not stay in tubes. The blood pours over the organs and then is recollected.
Grasshoppers also have an open circulatory system. Blood flows out into the open organ area and then back into the heart.
3. Nervous System
The tick has a ventral nerve cord. (Ventral means in the front) Ticks have two feelers to help them find a host. They also have chemical receptors on their legs to sense a host.
Bees also have ventral nerve cords. In this diagram the nerve cord is labeled G
4. Locomotion
Ticks have 8 jointed legs. Ticks have an exoskeleton and therefore need many joints to move. At the end of each leg ticks have sticky pads and a claw to help it cling to its host.
This diagram of a grasshopper leg has each segment of the leg labeled.
The exoskeleton of this insect is shown in brown. In order to grow the insect must molt. When it molts it comes out of its old exoskeleton.
5. Digestion
Ticks have no jaws. Ticks feed by sucking the blood of their host. Their mouth is long and slim and covered with barbs, like a fish hook. The mouth drills a hole into the host and then it sucks up blood.
6. Reproduction
Deer Ticks live up to two years. Their life cycle has four stages:
Egg – hatch in about 1month
Larva – have 6 legs, usually feed on mice. After feeding it drops off and hides until the next spring
Nymph – After feeding (May‐June) it drops of and becomes an adult
Adults – Adults can reproduce. The male dies after mating. The female must feed and then lives through the winter. In the spring it may lay up to 2500 eggs.
The Tick – A look at the body systems and structures
Review Questions:
1. Respiration
How are our lungs like the book lungs of an arachnid?_____________________________
How are our lungs different?__________________________________________________
2. Circulatory System
How is our circulatory system different from that of a tick?_________________________
Why does our circulatory system work better?___________________________________
3. Nervous System
How does the location of the nervous system differ between ticks and humans?_________
4. Locomotion
What are the advantages of having an exoskeleton?____________________________
What are the disadvantages of having an exoskeleton?__________________________
5. Digestion
Why would blood be such a good type of food?____________________________________
6. Reproduction
Diagram A
Diagram B
Both diagrams show the life cycle of a deer tick. Which diagram is easier to understand? Why?
____________________________________________________________________________
What is the advantage of having multiple hosts? _______________________________________
Lesson Title: Microscopic observations of a tick
Lesson Abstract: Students will use a microscope to observe the structures of a larval and adult tick.
Length of lesson: 40 min
Lesson Goals: Students will gain a better understanding of the relationship between structures and function in regard to a tick
Lesson Objectives: SWBAT describe how a ticks structures relate to their functions
SWBAT diagram a tick at both low and high power
Assessment of Objectives: Students will complete a lab packet
Preparation: Copies of lab packet
Materials: Microscopes, colored pencils, Tick slides (adult and larva) (Slides are available from APBPC)
Background Information: Ticks are the vector for Lyme disease. Microscopic observations of tick structures allow students to gain of better understanding of how ticks are adapted to survive as parasites.
Lesson Plan:
Intro Look closely at your hand. How does the way your hand is built , its structure, help it to carry out its jobs( functions )? Today we are going to examine a tick by using a microscope. Our goal is to understand how the structure of the tick helps it to function.
Group Work In groups of 2, students complete the lab packets. Students that finish early may color their diagrams. Be sure to stress neatness, accuracy, and scale for student diagrams.
QA When groups are done review packet questions and diagrams.
Closure 1. Discuss the importance of the microscope in science.
2. Discuss parasites and adaptations they have to allow them to be successful.
Ticks
Tick Larva
Background: Ticks are small animals that are classified as arthropods. This is because they have a hard exoskeleton. (Their skeleton is on the outside.) They are parasites. This means they get their food by harming other living things. This slide is a tick larva. The tick is not yet an adult.
Materials:
* microscope
* tick Larva slide
* pencil and colored pencils
Problem:
How do the structures of the tick help it survive?
Predictions:
1. How can a tick move if it has an exoskeleton? _____________________________________
2. How do the parts of a tick help it to be a parasite?
____________________________________________________________________________
Procedure:
1. Turn on the electric microscopes at your station (inform your teacher if the microscope is not working).
2. Select the Tick Larva slide from the slides kit located at your station.
3. Turn off the microscope and place the slide on the stage under the stage clips.
4. Lower the smallest (4X) objective (lens) to its closest position to the stage.
5. Looking through the eyepiece move the focus knob in a clockwise (and counter-clockwise when necessary) direction until the specimen becomes focused.
6. Looking through the eyepiece for several minutes make mental and physical notes (on the notes and sketch page) about what you have observed.
7. Using your notes, draw an accurate and detailed color picture of a tick larva.
8. Change the microscope objective to 10X . Focus on the head of the tick and repeat steps 6-8.
Conclusion:
After observing tick larva under 4X magnification, I think that the tick can move because it has
_________________________________________
After observing tick larva under 10X magnification, I think that the tick push through skin and hold on because it has
________________________________________
Completed in collaboration with Keith VanWagenen, Pine Bush Elementary, Grade 5
Notes & Sketch Page
Notes at 4X-(Include number of legs)____________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Sketch at 4X – Please draw to scale
Notes at 10X __________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sketch at 10X- Please draw to scale
Ticks
Tick Adult
Background: Ticks are small animals that are classified as arthropods. This is because they have a hard exoskeleton. (Their skeleton is on the outside.) They are parasites. This means they get their food by harming other living things. This slide is a tick larva. The tick is an adult.
Materials:
* microscope
* tick adult
* pencil and colored pencils
Problem:
How is a tick as an adult different from a tick as a larva?
Predictions:
1. List ways the adult tick will be different? _____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Procedure:
a. Turn on the electric microscopes at your station (inform your teacher if the microscope is not working).
b. Select slide - Tick Adult, from the slides kit located at your station.
c. Turn off the microscope and place the slide on the stage under the stage clips.
d. Lower the smallest (4X) objective (lens) to its closest position to the stage.
e. Looking through the eyepiece move the focus knob in a clockwise (and counter-clockwise when necessary) direction until the specimen becomes focused.
f. Looking through the eyepiece for several minutes make mental and physical notes (on the note and sketch page) about what you have observed.
g. Using your notes, draw an accurate and detailed color picture of a tick larva.
h. Change the microscope objective to 10X . Focus on the head of the tick and repeat steps 6-8.
Conclusion:
After observing tick larva under 4X magnification, I think that the adult tick is different because it has
_________________________________________
After observing tick larva under 10X magnification, I think that the adult tick is different because ________________________________________
Completed in collaboration with Keith VanWagenen, Pine Bush Elementary, Grade 5
Notes & Sketch Page
Notes at 4X-(Include number of legs) ___________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Sketch at 4X – Please draw to scale
Notes at 10X ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Sketch at 10X- Please draw to scale
Lesson Title: Microscopic measurement of a tick
Lesson Abstract: Students will use a microscope to observe and measure a tick.
Length of lesson: 40 min
Lesson Goals: Students will gain a better understanding of microscopic measurements
Lesson Objectives: SWBAT describe how a ticks structures relate to their functions
SWBAT measure the size of a tick
Assessment of Objectives: Students will complete a lab packet
Preparation: Copies of lab packet
Materials: Microscopes, colored pencils, Grid slides, Tick slides (adult and larva) (Slides are available from APBPC)
Background Information: Ticks are the vector for Lyme disease. Microscopic observations of tick structures allow students to gain of better understanding of how ticks are adapted to survive as parasites. Using a grid slide students are able to get a better understanding of size and microscopic measurements.
Lesson Plan:
Intro How big are things that we view under the microscope? Today we will make a microscopic measurement of a tick.
Group Work In groups of 2, students complete the lab packets. Students that finish early may color their diagrams. Be sure to stress neatness, accuracy, and scale for student diagrams.
QA When groups are done review packet questions and diagrams.
Closure 1. Discuss the importance of the microscope in science.
2. Discuss parasites and adaptations they have to allow them to be successful.
Addition: Students that finish early may also draw the grid slide and tick at a higher power of magnification. The grid slide is useful up to 100X. Students can then discuss differences in field of vision between low and higher power and make microscopic measurements of parts of the tick.
Lab – The Tick
1. Pick up slide A. Slide A is a prepared slide of a tiny piece of graph paper.
The lines on this graph paper are 1 mm apart.
2. Place slide A on the stage of the microscope. Bring the graph paper into focus using low power. When you look into the microscope the whole area you see is called the Field of view.
Knowing that the lines are 1 mm apart, estimate the diameter of the low power field of view to the nearest 0.5mm.
Low Power magnification:________ Estimated diameter of low power field of view: _________ mm
3. At the bottom of the page use a ruler to draw a diagram of the graph paper as you see it using the microscope. Be sure to draw it to scale.
4. Remove slide A.
5. Place the tick slide on the stage of the microscope. Bring the specimen into focus using low power. Using your diagram of the grid slide as a reference, estimate the length of the tick. Do not include legs in your measurement. Count the number of legs.
Length of tick: ________________mm Number of legs: ___________________
6. At the bottom of the page draw a diagram of the tick. Be sure to draw it to scale. Include all of the structures that you see.
7. Examine the mouth parts of the tick. Describe them in detail and infer how their structure helps the tick to survive.
Description:__________________________________________________________________________
Function:____________________________________________________________________________
1mm
Graph paper _____x Tick ____x
Field of View
Diameter