What happens when you plant large numbers of non-native trees in an area? Well, sometimes it attracts the wrong kind of attention! Meet the South American palm weevil, an insect that spends its entire life cycle destroying palm trees. The video shows each stage of its growth, the parts of the trees affected, and the research scientists are conducting that hopes to stop the invasion.

Concepts

insects, insect life cycles, insect anatomy, trees, invasive species

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the video to show one of the disadvantages to planting non-native trees and plants
• Include the resource in a metamorphosis unit

Classroom Considerations

• Show some examples of insect anatomy to ensure the class understands types of mouth parts

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Great scripting and video footage add to the creepy factor of this alien invasion
• The resource illustrates the insect's progression through the stages of metamorphosis

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.7.2 SL.6.2 SL.9-10.2