Pesticide

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pesticide

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the estimated crop loss without pesticides?30-50% reduction in global crop yields
2. What is the primary public health application?Vector control for diseases such as malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus
3. Why do farmers use pesticides?Farmers use pesticides to protect crops such as wheat, rice, and corn from bugs and diseases, so we have enough food and the food stays safe.
4. How do insecticides stop bugs?Insecticides can hurt a bug’s nervous system or stop its growth, so the bug can’t eat the plants or spread disease.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A sustainable approach combining biological, cultural, and chemical methods for pest control.
Pest Resistance: The inherited ability of a pest population to survive exposure to a pesticide.
Maximum Residue Limit (MRL): The highest level of pesticide residue legally permitted in or on food or animal feed.