Lesson Description:
Is your school or home “bugged?” Are your classrooms and kitchens “hot spots” where pests love to hang out? Put your spaces under surveillance! Collect clues about what makes a place a “hot spot” for pests by investigating the survival needs of various potential pests. Use the clues to solve the mysteries of pest problems. Transform “hot spots” into places that are “cool-for-kids” (and grown-ups). Discover ways to “green sweep” your spaces with environmentally friendly actions to convince unwelcome pests to pack up and move back to their natural habitats. 

Key Concepts

• All organisms have basic survival needs: food, water and shelter. 
• Pests are attracted to our spaces because they find food, water and shelter. 
• Organisms gain access to our spaces in a variety of ways. n Habitat modification and environmentally friendly sanitation practices are important ways to prevent pest problems. 

Objectives

• Describe reasons organisms are attracted to indoor and outdoor spaces at home and at school. 
• Explain how we can use the facts about an organism’s survival needs to prevent them from becoming unwelcome pests in and around our homes and schools. 
• Modify and clean spaces at home and at school with environmentally friendly strategies and tools to prevent pest problems.

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Lesson Type:

• Experiment
• Project
• Other

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Sustainability Topic:

• Ecosystems
• Green Building

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GEF Program Category:

• Green Building Program

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Materials Needed:
See attached.

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Lesson Documents:
Habitat Hot Spots.pdf

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