Lesson: Attack of the Giant Hornets

Share images of invasive species like starlings or pythons. Discuss what constitutes an invasive species, or a nonnative organism that has a significant and negative effect when it spreads through new ecosystems. Let students share other examples.

Explain to students that species from the U.S. may also be invasive if they are introduced elsewhere (e.g., bullfrogs). Open the article online in presentation view. Read the article aloud. After each section, ask students to summarize it. Point out the honeybee in the sidebar on page 15 and discuss the importance of honeybees as pollinators. (Bees carry pollen between plants, helping plants—including those that people eat—reproduce). Note: For more information on pollination, use “Sting Operation” from the August 31, 2020, issue of Science World. Have students complete the article’s “Check for Understanding.”

Show students the video “Removing An Asian Giant Hornet Nest.” Ask students to share observations about the outfits scientists wore, the equipment used, the removal process, and the hornets. Discuss why scientists took these steps. How do they think the scientists felt during this? Share the “Create a Comic Strip” skills sheet with students. Have students use what they read, as well as how they think the scientists felt, to create an illustrated version of the quest to capture these hornets.

Direct students to observe the other invasive species discussed in the sidebar on page 17. Discuss humans’ role in causing the spread of invasive species. Have students complete the skills sheet “Mapping Invasive Species.” (Note: Share images of species that students are unfamiliar with, like Asian carp.)

Read the following quote from the story about the wasp’s nest: “We caught it right in the nick of time.” (page 17) Discuss why it’s important to catch a potentially invasive species early, before it spreads. Ask students how the public helped scientists tackle the giant hornet problem. Distribute the “Investigate an Invasive Species” skills sheet to help students conduct research and create a way to educate the public about an invasive species.

⇨ VIDEO EXTRA: Watch scientists eradicate a dangerous hornet nest.