This project is best for younger students below sixth or seventh grade. Visit a local wooded park, such as a camp site near a lake. Make sure the students wear long sleeves and pants to prevent the ticks from getting on them. Drag a blanket across the ground to pick up ticks. Place the ticks in a bag with tweezers. Take the ticks back to the classroom and see if the students can identify the different species of ticks they found.
The only way to catch a heartworm infection early is to have a vet perform a blood test on the dog for signs of microfilariae in the blood. However, it is possible to identify the disease in dogs after it has progressed. The main signs of a heartworm infection in a dog is shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue and jaundice. When the dog is close to death, the dog may also show a loss of appetite. Students can apply these symptom checks at home with their own dogs or inspect a local animal shelter for signs of heartworm in the shelter dogs. Ask the students if they notice a higher chance of heartworm in outdoor dogs than indoor dogs.
Visit a wooded area to find shelf fungi attached to trees. Remove the fungi from the tree and a small portion of the surrounding bark. Have the students try to identify whether the fungus is a fungus only, or if it is a parasite living off of the nutrients of the tree. Have the students determine from how the fungus attaches to the tree and whether it grows on living or dead trees if the plant is a fungus or parasite. Parasites survive off of live hosts, while funguses live off of dead hosts.
This project tests the affect of the aphid parasite on plants. The aphids suck the sap from inside the plant, weakening the plant. The aphids also leave a residue that causes mold to grow on plants. Aphids also carry plant diseases inside their bodies. Find a few aphids at a local garden or in your yard. Place the aphids onto a plant. Track the development of the aphids and note any changes that occur in the plant over the next few weeks. Compare your results to that of an identical, but aphid-free plant to see the devastation parasites can cause to their host.