STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS

Questions for Students In First Jigsaw Grouping

Jigsaw Group A (Figure 5A)

To begin, someone in your group should volunteer to read the following individual and groupwork directions.

• Individually look at Figures 5A; take your time to first describe the figure (parameters and scale on each axis, the symbols, the overall pattern) and then attempt to interpret them. Be sure to read through the “explanations of the graphs” below. When each person in your group has finished doing this, carefully discuss each figure together. Make sure that each person truly understands the data, the axes, the symbols, the pattern, your interpretations. Now figure out how to explain these graphs to other students who will not have seen them before. What confused you at first? Show and explain these. What are the most important points you need to make? Make sure you can explain these clearly. Anticipate problems and questions they may have. Don’t finish until each person in your group feel comfortable teaching this material in the next grouping.


• Your figure is part of the data in a paper by Jones et al. published in the journal Science in 1998. The researchers put together an ecological puzzle that involves an introduced insect, the gypsy moth. The moth was intentionally introduced into Massachusetts for potential silk production in the 1880’s. That failed, but gypsy moth larvae became a serious pest on native and ornamental trees in the U.S. In parts of New England defoliation of oaks in particular has occurred numerous times due to gypsy moth outbreaks; when that happens forests in summer look like they do in winter. Trees that have been defoliated several times often die. Tree defoliations by gypsy moths happen now periodically in the northeast. In 1981 an area the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut was defoliated by the moth.


• Gypsy moths have 4 life stages — eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Only the larvae damage vegetation. Dispersal of larvae happens via silken threads caught by the wind and unintentionally by people. More and more states now have gypsy moths including the Virginias and Michigan.


• Jones et al. studied interactions between a number of seemingly unrelated organisms — gypsy moths, oak trees (their acorns), white-footed mice, ticks, deer, and the bacterium that causes a serious disease in humans called Lyme disease. People with serious cases have painful joints and brain disorders. Figure 5A shows the density (mice per hectare) of white-footed mice in a New England forest. Masting large production of acorns by oaks in the fall ­ takes place every 2-5 years in New England and when that happens more mice survive the winter and breed in spring. Part of this experiment involved acorn addition; the scientists added acorns to reach a density of about 60 acorns per square meter (similar to a big acorn crop). Your job is to understand this graph as well as you can and explain it to students in the second grouping of the jigsaw. With this information and that from 2 other figures from this study, you should be able to piece together a fascinating story of how gypsy moth introduction has seriously affected the health of many people in New England.

Jigsaw Group B (Figure 5B)

To begin, someone in your group should volunteer to read the following individual and groupwork directions.

• Individually look at Figures 5b; take your time to first describe the figure (parameters and scale on each axis, the symbols, the overall pattern) and then attempt to interpret them. Be sure to read through the “explanations of the graphs” below. When each person in your group has finished doing this, carefully discuss each figure together. Make sure that each person truly understands the data, the axes, the symbols, the pattern, your interpretations. Now figure out how to explain these graphs to other students who will not have seen them before. What confused you at first? Show and explain these. What are the most important points you need to make? Make sure you can explain these clearly. Anticipate problems and questions they may have. Don’t finish until each person in your group feel comfortable teaching this material in the next grouping.


• Your figure is part of the data in a paper by Jones et al. published in the journal Science in 1998. The researchers put together an ecological puzzle that involves an introduced insect, the gypsy moth. The moth was intentionally introduced into Massachusetts for potential silk production in the 1880’s. That failed, but gypsy moth larvae became a serious pest on native and ornamental trees in the U.S.. In parts of New England defoliation of oaks in particular has occurred numerous times due to gypsy moth outbreaks; when that happens forests in summer look like they do in winter.


• Gypsy moths have 4 life stages — eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Only the larvae damage vegetation. Dispersal of larvae happens via silken threads caught by the wind and unintentionally by people. More and more states now have gypsy moths including the Virginias and Michigan.


• Jones et al. studied interactions between a number of seemingly unrelated organisms — gypsy moths, oak trees (their acorns), white-footed mice, ticks, deer, and the bacterium that causes a serious disease in humans called Lyme disease. Figure 5B shows the densities of various life stages of the gypsy moth in the study area. Part of the study involved effects of mice on gypsy moths. The scientists removed mice by continuously trapping them in the experimental areas. Your job is to understand this graph as well as you can and explain it to students in the second grouping of the jigsaw. With this information and that from 2 other figures from this study, you should be able to piece together a fascinating story of how gypsy moth introduction has seriously affected the health of many people in New England.


• Figure 5B shows the densities of various life stages of the gypsy moth in the study area. Part of the study involved effects of mice on gypsy moths. Your job is to understand this graph as well as you can and explain it to students in the second grouping of the jigsaw. With this information and that from 2 other figures from this study, you should be able to piece together a fascinating story of how gypsy moth introduction has seriously affected the health of many people in New England.

Jigsaw Group C (Figure 5C)

To begin, someone in your group should volunteer to read the following individual and groupwork directions.

• Individually look at Figures 5C; take your time to first describe the figure (parameters and scale on each axis, the symbols, the overall pattern) and then attempt to interpret them. Be sure to read through the “explanations of the graphs” below. When each person in your group has finished doing this, carefully discuss each figure together. Make sure that each person truly understands the data, the axes, the symbols, the pattern, your interpretations. Now figure out how to explain these graphs to other students who will not have seen them before. What confused you at first? Show and explain these. What are the most important points you need to make? Make sure you can explain these clearly. Anticipate problems and questions they may have. Don’t finish until each person in your group feel comfortable teaching this material in the next grouping.


• Your figure is part of the data in a paper by Jones et al. published in the journal Science in 1998. The researchers put together an ecological puzzle that involves an introduced insect, the gypsy moth. The moth was intentionally introduced into Massachusetts for potential silk production in the 1880’s. That failed, but gypsy moth larvae became a serious pest on native and ornamental trees in the U.S. In parts of New England defoliation of oaks in particular has occurred numerous times due to gypsy moth outbreaks; when that happens forests in summer look like they do in winter.


• Jones et al. studied interactions between a number of seemingly unrelated organisms — gypsy moths, oak trees (their acorns), white-footed mice, deer, ticks, and the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Your figure focuses on the black-legged tick which is a vector the bacterium for Lyme disease. This is a serious disease that was first detected in Lyme, Massachusetts and if left untreated causes severe joint problems and neurological effects in people. It can be treated with heavy doses of antibiotics but is often is not because it is confused with the flu. The disease is transmitted to humans by ticks infested with the Lyme disease bacterium. Adults ticks feed and mate on deer before they drop to the ground in the fall. The following spring and summer tick “offspring” feed on mice (for blood) and in this way pick up the bacterium. A later life stage seeks more blood meals from vertebrate hosts, which can be humans.


• Figure 5C shows the densities of ticks that carry the bacterium for Lyme disease in the study area. Part of the study involved affects acorn addition on mouse densities. Your job is to understand this graph as well as you can and explain it to students in the second grouping of the jigsaw. With this information and that from 2 other figures from this study, you should be able to piece together a fascinating story of how gypsy moth introduction has seriously affected the health of many people in New England.

Questions for Students In Second Jigsaw Grouping (all groups have one A, one B, and one C person)

Each A, B, and C person should take a few minutes and explain your figure(s) to your other group members. Patiently teach them what your data show.

Finally, your group should use your combined knowledge to explain the phenomena.