Back to: Science e-catalog Grade e-Journal
e-Journal

Meet Caroline Chaboo (pp. 176–177)


Step 1. Questions

Caroline Chaboo studies the relationship between the tortoise beetle and the palm tree that it eats. The beetle weakens the tree, but the tree does not die. Caroline is trying to find out why the Sabal palm is able to survive. She wants to know whether it produces a pesticide against beetles.

Write a report about how natural pesticides produced by plants might help other organisms. You will research tortoise beetles and natural pesticides that are produced by plants. Here are some questions to guide your research:
  • How might a natural pesticide produced by a plant help other organisms?
  • What kinds of plants do tortoise beetles eat?
  • How could a pesticide produced by the Sabal palm help other plants?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web sites in Step 2. Look for answers to the questions above, and write down what you learn in the note-taking boxes.

With teacher supervision, you may use search engines to research other Web sites. You also can research natural pesticides at the library. When you are ready, follow Steps 3 and 4 to write your report.


Step 2. Research

Research answers to the questions you were asked in Step 1. Visit these Web sites. Take notes about them on this page, too!


Toolbox Tip: Click here to learn how to move from one Web page to another.


Self-Defense for Plants
The University of Alaska maintains this Web page about how plants defend themselves against animals and insects. Read the article to learn the ways that plants survive. Pay close attention to the chemical defenses, or natural pesticides, that plants have.
Take Notes:



Alaska Yellow-Cedar as Mosquito Repellant?
After you have read the article about how plants protect themselves from snowshoe hares, try this article from the University of Alaska. The Alaska yellow-cedar tree has natural chemicals, or preservatives, that protect it from insects. These preservatives also help protect other trees.
Take Notes:



Transgenic Crops
Transgenic crops have genes that come from other plants or other species. The added genes can help the plants when they need to defend themselves from insects. This Web page provides a great deal of information about transgenic crops. Read about why scientists create transgenic crops. Such information can help you when you write about how natural pesticides can help other plants.
Take Notes:



Additional Sites

Tortoise Beetles
This Web site from North Carolina State University gives some information about different kinds of tortoise beetles. These tortoise beetles do not eat Sabal palms, but they do eat other plants. How do these insects affect plant life?
Take Notes:



Golden Tortoise Beetle
At this site you can read about the golden tortoise beetle. This tortoise beetle is found in North America. Read about the kinds of plants the insect eats. The Web site contains pictures of this beetle as a larva and as an adult.
Take Notes:



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