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Bessbug Experiment PreK-1

Do your bessbugs like dark or light habitat? Find out!

Standards
Science: Abilities to do scientific inquiry; understanding about scientific inquiry
Life Science: Characteristics of organisms, organisms and environments

Materials
Two bessbugs, black construction paper, white paper, tape, a shallow box (like a box lid).

Safety Tips for Handling Bessbugs
Bessbugs don’t bite! Bessbugs travel slow! Wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER handling bessbugs, for your safety and for theirs. Lift bugs by their abdomens (back section). To keep them from running off, lay bugs belly up in a shallow box. Be gentle. Don’t rush. You might enjoy how a bessbug feels walking in your hand.

Steps
Divide your box into two habitats:
(1) cover one side with black construction paper to make a dark cave
(2) line the other side with white paper to make a light open space.

Definition: The word habitat means the place an animal (or plant) likes to live—the place that is natural for its life and growth. Most animals like one kind of habitat more than other kinds. Frogs like wet habitat, like ponds or rainforests. Ladybugs like to live in dry, leafy plants. Rabbits like to live in grassy places or forests and they like to make burrows (tunnels and nests) underground. Monkeys like to live in forests, high up in trees.

Predict: What do you think the bessbugs will do when you put them in the box? Will they like the light, open habitat or the dark, covered habitat?

Test: Place both bessbugs on the light side, at the end of the box.

Observe: Watch and see what the bugs do. Where do they go? Do they stay there?

Conclude: Did the bessbugs like the light or the dark habitat best?