Module 1: Diversity of insects

Review and assess what your group has come up with. At this point in most research questions, people can't be expected to have too many fully developed answers – but the questions are crucial.

Are there gaps? Are there overlaps? After reading through everyone's responses, add any remaining questions to the 'Remaining questions' topic in the Discussion forum.

After you have the questions, begin to find some answers…

1. Seek a number of different definitions of 'insect' from a range of sources – at this stage from a source other than your textbook. A number may well have come up in the brain storming exercise your group undertook in 'What do you think?'. Everyone in the group should look for two or three different definitions and write them down for joint consideration.  Compare and contrast these, identifying any unknown terms along the way for further investigation.

2. Carefully note the source where you got the definition from and any other bibliographic details. Give the source a reliability rating, where 5 is 'Very reliable' and 1 is 'I would never buy a used car (or accept a definition) from this source'. Briefly note your reasons why.

Post your responses to the Discussion forum 'What is an insect?'

Look again at the diagram Jim has found.

Come up with your own revised figure, putting in all of the life forms in Jim's figure in their correct relationship and add the classificatory category of which they are an example (e.g. taxa, order, class). From your work so far, write a brief definition (up to 25 words – it can include references to the other terms) of each term. The diagram and the glossary terms you arrive at will form part of your collection report.  What is the main problem with this diagram (cladogram)?

So what have we done so far:

Hopefully you have got used to using a scenario-based approach to learning.  Although it is very different from the standard lecture-based plug and chug methods, you will still cover a range of relevant material. There are also more opportunities for you to branch out and follow a particular interest that you may have in the material presented. For an overview of the planned learning outcomes for this Module, consult the Unit Information section.

Now that you are nearly at the end of this first session of Module 1, you will hopefully have a better understanding of how insects are different from other organisms.  Formally this is called systematics: the study of phylogeny and classification.

This following reading from your textbook is to help you become more familiar with the basics of systematics and the hypothesised relationships of insects within the Arthropoda phylum, and to various orders of insects.