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SE-3. "What does a flea look like under a microscope?" grades 4-8, demonstration. Fleas are very tiny insects and they suck blood from mammals. We have tons of info on the flea along with the slide with both a male and female flea. This project is sure to be a hit as most people don't know that much about fleas!
To do this project, you will watch one short section of the DVD (video), then inspect your flea slide. Use all the powers of your microscope. At 400x see if you can determine the sex of each flea. See how many parts you can identify. Now go back and review the DVD a second time to make sure you were correct in your identification. Learn all the words so you can name them by heart. It's all on the DVD and should be easy to learn!
On the resource section you will find four items to help you with your project. First, read the Flea Info sheet. Then do the Flea Worksheet. See if you can do the worksheet without referring to the info sheet. When you can do this, you will know more about fleas than 99% of all the people in the world! Once you master the flea information, do the flea lab. Use the Flea anatomy to help and if you wish, put the diagram on your backboard or make a larger copy of it.
If you have a dog or cat, try using a flea comb to get some live specimens. Usually they are only found in the warmer months. See if you can incorporate into your science project whatever you learn by brushing your pet. Maybe you can put some live specimens in a small jar for the science fair! Ewwwww. If you are allergic to flea bites then you probably should just stick with the prepared specimen.
If your project topic doesn't have to be in the form of a question, you could rename the title to something more fun and different, use your imagination! How about "Tiny Vampires!"
If you do this project, drop us a note and perhaps attach a picture of you with your project. We would love to see your successful science project!
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