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When some Tennessee teachers return to the classroom this fall, they’ll instruct students about entomology using mosquitoes as their lesson plan.
Gresham Middle Mosquitos

Meet the Educators:

Teachers participating in an event during National Mosquito Awareness Week
Five teachers participated in a refresher academy during National Mosquito Awareness Week.
Ms. Yates using Survey123 GPS Software
Ms. Yates re-familiarizing herself with Survey 123.

Participating Schools and Educators!

  • Ms. Butterfield @ Bearden Middle School (BMEB)
  • Ms. Jones @ Powell High School (PHCJ)
  • Ms. Meyer @ Powell High School (PHSM)
  • Ms. Reynolds @ South Doyle High School (SDSR)
  • Ms. Sluss @ Robertsville Middle School (RMSS)
  • Ms. Waldron @ Bearden Middle School (BMSW)
  • Ms. Yates @ Northview Academy (NACY)

Quick Cheat Sheet:

  • Survey123
  • GoogleForms
  • paper label (22-codeTrap#-week)
  • Help! Email… 
    • Becky for logisitics
    • Corey for mosquitoes​
    • Brian & Michael for GIS
      • Michael for Survey123​
      • Brian for GoogleForms
    • Josh for CoDap

Using mosquitoes collected by educators and their students, participants will…

1) Identify mosquitoes to species & sex

2) Extract DNA from them

3) Use PCR to amplify a gene

4) Use gel electrophoresis to identify the genotype

5) Assess their science

Educators will bring their student-derived:

  • Question and hypothesis
  • Data and results

to the workshop and craft a message for an audience.

Educators will bring their message back to their classroom and challenge their students to do better. Those students will be able to present their message to the community at the Science Communication Fair.

NEW this year!

Educators, their students, and their families will present their science to one another at our First Science Communication Fair.

Categories:

  • Scientific Research Poster
    • based on YOUR classroom hypothesis develop a scientific poster
    • parts of the poster should include:
      • question with hypothesis,
      • background
      • methods
      • results (graph or map?!)
      • discussion 
  • Scientific Communication Messaging
    • based on the results of YOUR classroom hypothesis craft a media campaign to target 5 different audiences
    • audiences might include
      • a family member​
      • a friend
      • your principal
      • your mayor
      • general community member 

Prizes for Middle School and High School:

  • Educator with the greatest percent of participants
  • top individual scientific poster
  • top group scientific poster 
  • top individual media campaign
  • top group media campaign ​

2022 Surveillance Schedule:

  • Finalize your question, hypothesis, & treatments 6 cups x 6 weeks (3 cups/trmt)  
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 1
  • Set your traps at locations that answer your question 
  • With Silver sharpie, label cup with trap id
  • With pencil, label egg paper with trap id & calendar week 35
  • Use Survey123 to georeference your trap locations
  • NEW: Set ovitrap 7 adjacent to ovitrap 1 study week 1
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 2
  • Collect week 35 egg paper & store in provided bag (label bag) 
  • Use GoogleForms to report trap & site conditions 
  • Replace infusion water & label egg paper with trap id & calendar week 36
  • NEW: Set ovitrap 7 adjacent to ovitrap 2
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 3
  • Collect week 36 egg paper & store in provided bag (label bag)
  • Use GoogleForms to report trap & site conditions
  • Replace infusion water & label egg paper with trap id & calendar week 37
  • NEW: Set ovitrap 7 adjacent to ovitrap 3
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 4
  • Collect week 37 egg paper & store in provided bag (label bag)
  • Use GoogleForms to report trap & site conditions
  • Replace infusion water & label egg paper with trap id & calendar week 38
  • NEW: Set ovitrap 7 adjacent to ovitrap 4
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 5 
  • Collect week 38 egg paper & store in provided bag (label bag)
  • Use GoogleForms to report trap & site conditions
  • Replace infusion water & label egg paper with trap id & calendar week 39
  • NEW: Set ovitrap 7 adjacent to ovitrap 5
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 5 
  • Collect week 39 egg paper & store in provided bag (label bag)
  • Use GoogleForms to report trap & site conditions
  • Replace infusion water & label egg paper with trap id & calendar week 40
  • NEW: Set ovitrap 7 adjacent to ovitrap 6
  • Dechlorinate your water & then add liver powder for study week 6
  • Collect week 40 egg paper & store in provided bag (label bag)
  • Use GoogleForms to report trap & site conditions
  • Remove trap from the field and return egg papers to University of Tennessee
Educators participating in the 2022 Communications workshop
Some of the educators at the Communications
workshop held April 2022.
Educators leaving the 2022 dinner symposium with their mosquito supplies
Some of the educators at the dinner symposium
leaving with their mosquito supplies.

Participating Schools and Educators!

  • Ms. Deaver @ Horace Maynard Middle School (HMPD)
  • Mr. Edwards @ Tate’s School (TSAE)
  • Dr. Hirt @ Grace Christian Academy (GCPH)
  • Ms. McBride @ Bedford County Learning Academy (BCAM)
  • Ms. McCullough @ Jefferson Middle School (JMJM)
  • Ms. Meyer @ Powell High School (PHSM)
  • Ms. Resmondo @ Gresham Middle School (GMSR)
  • Ms. Reynolds @ South Doyle High School (SDSR)
  • Ms. Ridley @ Seymore Jr. High / Senior High (SHSR)
  • Ms. Sluss @ Robertsville Middle School (RMSS)
  • Ms. Waldron @ Bearden Middle School (BMSW)
  • Mr. Wehunt @ Soddy-Daisy High School (SDDW)
  • Ms. Yates @ Northview Academy (NACY)

Link to the dataset: 2021 MEGA:BITESS Data

  • Experimental design: 6 weeks x 6 ovitraps at each school

Quick Cheat Sheet:

  • Survey123
  • Google Forms
  • paper label (21-codeTrap#-week)
  • Help! Email… 
    • Becky for logisitics
    • Corey for mosquitoes​
    • Brian & Michael for GIS
      • Michael for Survey123​
      • Brian for Google Forms
    • Josh for CoDap
    • Jennifer for lesson plans

Key Dates:

  • Summer Workshop June 21-25, 2021
    • Egg Paper to UT by October 15, 2021 ($400)
    • Entomology lesson plan to UT by December 31, 2021 ($200)
  • GIS Workshop February 26, 2022 (edited because of holiday weekend)
    • GIS lesson plan to UT by April 20, 2022 ($200)​
  • Communications Workshop April 23, 2022
    • Communication lesson plan to UT by June 10, 2022​ ($200)
Teachers participating in a zoom meeting
2020-2021 UT MEGA:BITESS Academy cohort

2020 – 2021 Educators (School, County):

  • Alicia Boris (Bearden High, Knox)
  • Emily Butterfield (Bearden Middle, Knox)
  • Paula Deaver (Horace Maynard Middle, Union)
  • Deborah Denney (Eagleton Middle, Blount)
  • Kristie Fox (Oak Ridge, Anderson)
  • Tonya Henke (Bearden High, Knox)
  • Diane Humphrey (Seymour High, Sevier)
  • Julie McCullough (Jefferson Middle, Anderson)
  • Elizabeth Meyer (Powell High, Knox)
  • Nicole Resmondo (Gresham Middle, Knox)
  • Christi Ridley (Seymour Jr/Sr, Sevier)
  • Stephanie Sluss (Robertsville Middle, Anderson)
  • Linda Styner (Eagleton Middle, Blount)
  • Lauren Waldron (Bearden Middle, Knox)
  • David Wehunt (Soddy Daisy High, Hamilton)
  • Crystal Yates (Northview Academy, Sevier)

2020 – 2021 Calendar

  • Summer Workshop June 22-26, 2020
  • Community-based mosquito surveillance August 24 – October 5, 2020
  • Virtual field trip to the mosquito rearing laboratory January 11-22,2021
  • GIS and Data Analyses workshop February 22, 2021
  • Science and Health Communication Workshop April 24, 2021

Link to the dataset: 2020 MEGA:BITESS Data

Experimental design: 6 weeks x 6 ovitraps at each school

Teacher class photo
2019-2020 UT MEGA:BITESS Academy cohort

2019 – 2020 Educators (School, County):

  • Alicia Boris (Bearden High, Knox)
  • Emily Butterfield (Bearden Middle, Knox)
  • Paula Deaver (Horace Maynard Middle, Union)
  • Deborah Denney (Eagleton Middle, Blount)
  • Kristie Fox (Oak Ridge, Anderson)
  • Tonya Henke (Bearden High, Knox)
  • Diane Humphrey (Seymour High, Sevier)
  • Julie McCullough (Jefferson Middle, Anderson)
  • Elizabeth Meyer (Powell High, Knox)
  • Justin Reed (West High, Knox)
  • Nicole Resmondo (Gresham Middle, Knox)
  • Christi Ridley (Seymour Jr/Sr, Sevier)
  • Stephanie Sluss (Robertsville Middle, Anderson)
  • Linda Styner (Eagleton Middle, Blount)
  • Lauren Waldron (Bearden Middle, Knox)
  • David Wehunt (Soddy Daisy High, Hamilton)
  • Crystal Yates (Northview Academy, Sevier)

2019 – 2020 Calendar

  • Summer Workshop June 24-28, 2019
  • GIS Analyses Workshop February 22, 2020
  • Science and Health Communication Workshop April 25, 2020

Link to the dataset: 2019 MEGA:BITESS Data

Experimental design: 10 weeks x 10 ovitraps at each school

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