As an Undergraduate teacher of Biological Sciences or Agricultural Sciences, you can use this set of computer-based tools to teach about mulberrysilkworm rearing, silk production, and the economic impact of climate change on the sericulture industry. This lesson plan will allow you to teach about the life cycle of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori and their artificial rearing for commercial silk production and its management.
This Lesson Plan would further help in better learning and understanding the process of silk production and the impact of climate change (such as temperature changes due to global warming, relative humidity fluctuations, CO₂ levels and other environmental changes) on silk productivity. Thus, the use of this lesson plan allows you to integrate the teaching of a climate science topic with a core topic in Biological Sciences and Agricultural Sciences.
Teacher-contributed lesson plan by Dr. Rita Rath (Dyal Singh College), Dr. Neeraja Sood (Dyal Singh College), and Dr. Nisha Vashishta (Miranda House).
Want to know more about how to contribute? Contact us.
Questions
Use this Lesson Plan to help the students to understand and find answers to:
Discuss the economic importance of Bombyx mori ?
What is the role of temperature, humidity, photoperiod and other climatic factors on the life cycle of silk worm and silk production?
What are the steps involved in the production of silk?
What are the challenges of silkworm rearing for the sericulture industry in relation to climate change?
About Lesson Plan
Grade Level
Undergraduate
Discipline
Biological Sciences, Agricultural Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Life Cycle, Life Cycle of Silkworm, Sericulture, Mulberry Silkworm, Bombyx mori
Climate Topic
Climate and Biosphere, Climate and Agriculture
Location
Global
Language(s)
English
Access
Online
Approximate Time Required
1 hr 30 mins
Contents
Video (5 mins)
A video to introduce the life cycle of a silkworm from eggs, to worms, to cocoons, to either silk moths or silk. This can be accessed here.
Video (7 mins)
A video to detail the process of artificial rearing of mulberry silkworms as practiced in India. This can be accessed here.
Reading (10-15 mins)
A reading that states what the management and climatic factors are for successful rearing of silkworm crops and for higher silk production. This can be accessed here.
Classroom/ Laboratory activity (40-50 mins)
An optional hands-on guide for laboratory rearing of silkworms. This can be accessed here.
Step-by-Step User Guide
Learning Outcomes
Questions/Assignments
Additional Resources
Credits
Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.
1
Introduce the topic through this video
Use this video titled, “Silkworm Lifecycle: worm to cocoon” by Jonathan L. to teach the life cycle of silkworm from larvae to cocoon-the stage of silk production. This video shows the detail of feeding and development of the larvae to moult into the cocoon which is the stage when it secretes the silk fibre for pupation.
Use this video titled, “Silk worm farming in India: how your silk is made” by WildfilmsIndia to teach the process of artificial rearing of silkworm in rearing houses for commercial silk production. Through the case study of Indian silk rearing practices, teach your students about sericulture and the role of a silkworm at different stages of its lifecycle. Silkworms are soft bodied, slow-moving and relatively fast growing insects that go through four stages of development - egg, larva, pupa and adult. The pupa is what the silkworm changes into after spinning its cocoon before emerging as a month.
Demonstrate how it is related to Climate Change through this Reading
This reading is titled, “Management of climatic factors for successful silkworm (Bombyx mori) crop and higher silk production: A review” by Rahmathulla, Central Sericulture Board, Mysore, Karnataka, India. It can be usedfor discussing the role of temperature, humidity, photoperiod and various other environmental factors on the growth and development of silkworm. This includes embryonic development of eggs, cocoon yield, weight, nutritional indices of larva, reproductive potential of adult moths and post cocoon parameters. This reading highlights the care needed during cocoon formation and future strategies for the management of climatic conditions.
This optional hands-on technique for rearing silkworm in a laboratory is titled, “Techniques of Rearing Silkworm” by the Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textile, Government of India. It can be used to extend the understanding of the process of sericulture for silk production. Use these activities to enable the students to understand the life cycle of silkworm and the importance of maintaining appropriate rearing conditions for proper growth and development of silkworm in order to increase silk productivity.
The detailed technique describing the rearing rooms, rearing conditions, rearing equipment and the rearing techniques can be accessed here.
The tools in this lesson plan will enable students to:
Learn about the life cycle of the Mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori.
Learn the process of silkworm rearing and silk production.
Discuss the effect of climate change and its implication on silk production and sericulture industry.
Suggested questions/assignments for learning evaluation:
Discuss the economic importance of Bombyx mori?
What is the role of temperature, humidity, photoperiod and other climatic factors on the life cycle of silk worm and silk production?
What are the steps involved in the production of silk?
What are the challenges of silkworm rearing for the sericulture industry in relation to climate change?
If you or your students would like to explore the topic further, these additional resources will be useful.
1.
Video
Use this video by Noal Farms to show the silkworm rearing for silk production, from larval feeding on mulberry to cocoon harvesting and silk reeling as additional information.
Use this additional reading resource by Prof. P. Tzenov, President, BACSA, which gives a worldwide perspective of the impact of climate change on sericulture in different regions (both temperate and subtropical) having different climatic conditions.
Use a reading book resource titled ‘Introduction to Sericulture’ by Ganga describing the general outline of the sericulture process as an additional resource.
A video resource by Dr. Ishrat V. Shaikh, showing hands on rearing technique of silkworm for silk production. Use this for laboratory activity of silkworm rearing.
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