Silkworms and Mealworms - DedicatedTeacher.com

THEMATIC UNIT

Silkworms and
Mealworms

Written by Sarah Kartchner Clark, M.A.

Teacher Created Materials, Inc. Illustrator
6421 Industry Way Ken Tunell
Westminster, CA 92683

www.teachercreated.com Editor

©1999 Teacher Created Materials, Inc. Janet A. Hale, M.S. Ed.

Reprinted, 2003 Cover Artist
Made in U.S.A. Agi Palinay
ISBN-1-57690-371-0

The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any part for an entire school
or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without written
permission from the publisher.

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Silkworms by Sylvia Johnson (Lerner Publications Co., 1982) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
(Available in Canada, Riverwood Pub.; UK, Turnaround; AUS, Stafford Bks.)

Summary—Sample Plan—Overview of Activities—Silkworm Instructions—Silkworms
Discussion Questions—Domesticated Animals—Metamorphosis Cycle—Unscramble the
Words—Through the Eyes of a Silkworm

The Empress and the Silkworm by Lily Toy Hong (Albert Whitman & Co., 1995) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
(Available in Canada, General Pub.; UK, Baker & Taylor; AUS, Stafford Bks.)

Summary—Sample Plan—Overview of Activities—Story Sequence—How Silk is Made—
Compounded Animals—Silkworm Sentences

My Mealworm Book (A Make-It-Yourself Book) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Summary—Sample Plan—Overview of Activities—Mealworm Instructions—My Mealworm
Book Overview—My Mealworm Book—Look at the Mealworm!—How Do Mealworms Walk?—
How Do Mealworms Find Bran?—What Do Mealworms Eat?—Mealworms and Apples—
Mealworm Maze—A Mealworm’s Favorite Color—Favorite Color Data Sheet—Magnificent
Mealworms

Across the Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Language Arts: Journal Entry Questions—Journal Cover—Create-a-Sentence—Poetry
Page—A Day in the Life of a Silkworm

Math: Silkworm Scavenger Hunt—Place Value Practice—Mealworm Mania

Science: Beetle Mania—What am I? Riddles—What is a Worm?—How Strong
is Silk?

Social Studies: Producers of Silk Map—Some Creepy Crawlies Help Us

Art: See-a-Scene—Spin a Cocoon—Creepy Crawly Mealworm

Drama: Popsicle Puppets

Music: Wormy Musical Songs

Life Skills: Cooking with Bran (A Take-Home Sheet)

Culminating Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Culmination Games—Show What You Know

Unit Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Silkworm and Mealworm Habitats—Silkworm and Mealworm Vocabulary—Letters to Parents—
Bulletin Boards—Learning Centers—Door Invitations—Classroom Door Activities—Behavioral
Management Ideas—Awards—Clip Art

Answer Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

#2371 Thematic Unit—Silkworms and Mealworms 2 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Silkworms

Silkworm Instructions

This page will give you all the information you will need to know in order to successfully keep and
raise silkworms in your classroom. Please read instructions carefully.

What are Silkworms?

Silkworms are not really worms. They are the larvae (or caterpillar) of the silkworm moth. Silkworms
have become known for their silk cocoons. When unwound, these cocoons have strands of silk that can
be woven into silk fabric. You can order silkworms through Insect Lore (page 80), as well as other
insect distributors. You must have a ready supply of Mulberry leaves for the silkworm to eat. Check
your local nurseries if Mulberry trees are not readily found in your area.

Life Cycle

Each female silkworm moth lays about 500 yellow eggs that are no larger than the size of the head of a
pin. These eggs will grow from an egg to a larva (the silkworm), pupa, and finally become a silkworm
moth. The silkworm moth only lives for a short time. It lives long enough to produce more of its kind.

Culturing Silkworms

To culture silkworms, use a plastic or glass container with smooth sides to prevent escape and to allow
children to see the silkworm spin its cocoon. A wide-mouth gallon jar works well. Place the silkworms
in the jar with mulberry leaves. Older mulberry leaves seem to work better. Do not put silkworms or
their cocoons near water. This can kill them. Your children will have the opportunity to document
each stage of the silkworm from egg to larva to pupa to silkworm moth. Save a few cocoons to unwind
and talk about how silk is made.

Silkworms spend most of their time eating and eating and eating! In their larval form, silkworms will
molt (lose their skin) five times. The periods before or after each molt are called instars. There are five
instars in a silkworm’s development:

INSTARS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Days of eating and 2.5 2.5 3 4 8
growth 2 —
1 1 1.5
Days of inactivity
before molting

© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 9 #2371 Thematic Unit—Silkworms and Mealworms

Silkworms

Silkworms Discussion Questions

As you read the book Silkworms, use the following critical thinking questions:

Stage 1—The Egg (pages 5-13)

• Is a silkworm a worm? (No, it is a caterpillar.)
• What does a silkworm turn into? (silkworm moth)
• Describe a silkworm moth. What does it look like? (light color, furry body, feathery antennae)
• Metamorphosis is a big word. What does it mean? (a physical change some animals go through

in its body structure or function)
• What are domesticated animals? (animals that need help from human beings to live) Can you

name a few? (Answers will vary.)
• Moths live for only a short time. How long do they live? (a few days or weeks)
• What is the silkworm moth’s job? (to make more silkworm moths)
• Pheromones are chemical substances. What are they able to do with these? (warn of danger, tell

animals to stay away from each others’ territories)
• How big are the silkworm eggs? (size of a pin head)
• What color are the silkworm eggs? (yellowish)

Stage 2—Larva (pages 14-23)

• How do silkworms hatch from their eggs? (by eating a hole in the soft covering of their egg)
• What is a worm? (a long, slender, soft-bodied creeping animal with no legs) Teacher Note:

Remember in the larva stage, a silkworm looks like a worm, but is actually a caterpillar.
• What do silkworms turn into? (silkworm moths)
• How long are the newly hatched silkworms? (less than .118 inches [3 mm] long)
• What do the new silkworms look like after they have hatched? (They have black heads and bodies

covered with hair.)
• How long does it take for the silkworms to emerge from their eggs? (approximately 20 days)
• What do silkworms eat? (mulberry leaves)
• What is it called when the silkworm larva lose their skin? (molting)
• A silkworm will lose its skin five times. Right before a silkworm will molt it becomes very still

like it is sleeping. These stages of molting and resting are called instars. How many instars does
a silkworm go through? (five)

#2371 Thematic Unit—Silkworms and Mealworms 10 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Silkworms

Silkworms Discussion
Questions (cont.)

Stage 3—Pupa (pages 24–37)

• A silkworm’s body has lots of parts. Ask the children what some of the parts of their bodies are.
(i.e. eyes, nose, ears, etc.) Explain that a silkworm has 12 simple eyes. What is a simple eye?
(It can only tell the difference between light and dark.)

• Other parts of a silkworm’s body are the spinneret, trachae, malpighian tubes, spiracles, and silk
glands. What do these parts do? (Spinneret is a tube through which the silkworm sends out its
silk; the trachae helps the silkworm breathe through the spiracles; the malpighian tubes eliminate
waste, and the silk glands produce silk.)

• Why does the silkworm spin silk? (To form a cocoon.)

• How are the silk spreads stuck together as they come out of the silkworm’s body? (With a sticky
substance called sericin.)

• A silkworm’s cocoon is made up of one unbroken thread of silk. How long does it take for a
silkworm to make a cocoon? (At least two days.)

• Inside the cocoon, the silkworm turns into what? (The pupa.)

• Unfortunately, if a person wants to use the cocoon for silk, it must destroy the pupa inside before
it comes out. How does this happen? (By putting the cocoons in a hot oven, or in boiling water,
the pupa is killed.) Teacher Note: Many people around the world then eat the pupa for food and
nourishment.

Stage 4—The Silkworm Moth (pages 38–45)

• If the pupa is not destroyed, it will continue to change into a silkworm moth. How long will a
pupa stay inside a cocoon? (About three weeks.)

• Show your children a picture of a silkworm and a picture of a silkworm moth. Let them talk
about the differences. Does anything stay the same? What are some of the changes that a
silkworm pupa goes through to turn into a moth? (It gets longer hairy legs, its worm-like body
turns into a short thick body covered with white scales, long feathery antennae, large compound
eyes, and scaly white wings.)

• How does a silkworm moth get out of its thick silky cocoon? (It uses a special liquid that its
body produces to soften and dissolve the silk.)

• The last part the moth has to do is spread its wings. How long does it take for a new moth to do
this? (15 minutes.)

• What is a silkworm moth’s job once it has come out of the cocoon. (Its job is to lay more eggs.)

© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 11 #2371 Thematic Unit—Silkworms and Mealworms