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Sow Bug Habitats
Task with Student Directions

Grade 9-12 Performance Task
Contributed by: New York State Education Department of (NYSED)
NYS Alternative Assessment in Science Project (1996)

Task:

At this station, you will be conducting an experiment to determine what type of environment sow bugs prefer.

Sow bugs are crustaceans and close relatives of crabs and lobsters. Like their relatives, sow bugs use gills for respiration. But, unlike most crustaceans, they live on land and not in the water.

Materials:

  • beaker of water
  • eyedropper
  • scissors
  • clock/timer
  • stack of paper towels
  • masking tape
  • 1 sheet black construction paper
  • 1 petri dish with 10 sow bugs
  • 1 extra petri dish lid

Directions:

Part A

  1. Answer questions 1 & 2 on page 2.

Part B

  1. Using the extra petri dish lid as a pattern, trace two circles on a piece of paper towel.

  2. Cut out the two circles. Fold each circle in half. Saturate one folded circle with water. It should be moist, but not soaking wet. The second folded circle should remain dry.

  3. Arrange the folded circles in the extra petri dish lid to create a habitat which is half moist and half dry.

  4. Remove the lid from the petri dish lid containing the sow bugs and replace it with the wet/dry habitat lid you prepared.

  5. Invert the petri dish so the wet/dry lid becomes the bottom and the petri dish bottom becomes the top.



  6. Using black construction paper, cover the moist side of the petri dish to make it dark.

  7. Note the time on your clock, or start your timer now. Record your start time in the data table on your answer sheet.

  8. The sow bugs should remain undisturbed for five (5) minutes. While you are waiting, check your answers to questions 1 & 2 on page 2.

  9. At the conclusion of the five (5) minute time period, record your time and the location of the sow bugs in the data table on your answer sheet.

  10. Complete the remaining question in Part B of the lab.

Sow Bug Habitats
Answer Sheet

Part A

  1. Using complete sentences, predict what you think the sow bugs will do, if they are released into a habitat with different areas of moisture and light.


  2. Using complete sentences, explain why you think the sow bugs will be arranged in the way you predicted?



Part B

Start time _______

Stop time _______

Data Table

Environment
Number of Sow Bugs
Moist / Dark
  
Dry / Light
  

  1. Did the animals prefer one environment to another? State evidence for your answer in complete sentences.






  2. For this question, answer either (a) or (b)

    1. If most of the animals were found in the dark, moist side of the container, would this be proof that sow bugs prefer a moist environment to a dry one? Explain your answer in complete sentences.






    2. If most of the animals were found on the illuminated, dry side of the container, would this be proof that sow bugs prefer light to darkness? Explain your answer in complete sentences.






  3. Based on the way this experiment was run can you say the sow bugs behavior was due to differences in light conditions alone? Yes or No.

  4. Using complete sentences, explain your reasoning to question #5.





  5. How could the variables in this experimental set up be changed to allow for better conclusions to be drawn? Answer in complete sentences.







  6. For this question, answer either (a) or (b) depending on your results.

    1. If there is a preference, how does it relate to their survival? In other words, how do the environmental factors of light/dry or dark/moist make it possible for them to be better able to survive?







    2. If there is no preference, explain why this is the case in terms of sow bug survival and life processes.





 

 

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