Curated OER
Invent an Insect
Explore biology by researching adaptation. First, learners research and define a list of insect vocabulary terms and discuss the benefits of each insect characteristic. They then utilize a worksheet to create their own insect and share...
Curated OER
Insect or Arachnid?
Students compare and contrast the characteristics of insects and arachnids through research, observation, and discussion. They write accurate statements describing insect and arachnid life cycles and anatomies. Afterward, they listen as...
Curated OER
Insects A-Z!
Alphabet insects! Who has ever heard of such a thing? Get ready because your class is going to research insects that start with a specific letter of the alphabet. In small groups, they'll use the Internet and reference texts to locate...
Curated OER
Learning to Resist: Watercolor
Consider wax resist drawings as a way to bridge art and science. Learners view, discuss, and practice drawing insects or animals using waxy crayons. They pay attention to the creature's features as they create images with watercolor and...
Curated OER
Create An Insect
Students create a new species of insect. They create a list of insect characteristics and use this as a springboard to draw an insect of their own. Students write a brief descriptive paragraphs about their insect, giving particular...
Curated OER
Imaginary Insect Zoo
Students create imaginary insects that contain essential characteristics of an insect, such as six legs and three body parts. In this Science/Arts lesson, students distinguish between an insect and non-insect. Students create their own...
Curated OER
Insects
Students study the characteristics and basic needs of insects. They compare and describe similarities among insects. They examine the body structure, covering, and movement of insects and also, examine insect life cycles in this unit of...
Curated OER
Bug Snack
Students create an insect out of food. In this insect characteristics lesson, students review the 3 body parts of an insect and use various foods to create a sample insect. Students learn a song about insect body parts.
Curated OER
The Art of Flying: Insects
Students study insects. They examine how insect wings operate and make a model airplane that mimics the way insect wings operate as the insect is flying. They compare and contrast different kinds of insect wings and color a page of...
Curated OER
Mealworms
Crawl into the world of the darkling beetle with this scientific investigation. Watch as the insects move through the larval, pupal, and adult stages of life, recording observations along the way. Discuss the necessities of life as young...
Curated OER
What Is An Insect?
Second graders participate in a nature walk to observe various types of insects. As a class, they discuss the proper ways to collect insects without harming them and review a poster of insect characteristics. They sing a song about the...
Curated OER
My Life As An Insect In Namib
Students examine the harsh living environment of the Namib Desert. They watch and discuss a video, record the types of insects observed in the video, record information about insects and animal adaptations in their science journals, and...
Curated OER
Classifying Plants and Insects
Art and science come together in a lesson based on Flower Still Life by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. Learners classify plants and insects in the painting by color, leaf shape, size, reproduction, and season of bloom.
Curated OER
Imaginary Insect Zoo
Students construct imaginary insects. In this insect lesson, students will discover the anatomy of their favorite insect and apply it to their own creation. Student will write a description of their model, and put the insect models...
Curated OER
Insects Are Helpful!
Students see that insects do lots good and are very valuable to humans and nature. This is part of an ongoing effort to dispel fears of insects. They rotate through a series of centers that have examples of how insects contribute to our...
Curated OER
I Wish I Were a Butterfly
Students inquire about biology by reading a children's book in class. In this insect lesson, students read the story "I Wish I Were a Butterfly" and identify the unique characteristics of butterflies and other insects. Students complete...
Cornell University
Let’s Raise Lacewings
Young entomologists explored beneficial insects and how they help control pests in the first lesson of the series. Now class members take a close look at the lacewing, which is a beneficial insect.
Cornell University
Metamorphosis
Looking for an insect unit that addresses multiple skill strategies? Young entomologists explore multiple life cycles of insects that go through metamorphosis. The brainteasers and mobile activity spark learner interest before guiding...
Curated OER
Diversity in Insects
Second graders examine bug photos from across the world. In this biodiversity lesson, students use a field notebook to make observation of insect photos. The class gather on the floor to investigate a mock field of insects and share...
Curated OER
Skeeterville
Students explore insect life by participating in a role-playing activity. In this mosquito life lesson, students listen to a role-play scenario in which they must protect a town from mosquitoes by creating a field guide about the insect....
Curated OER
Feeding Frenzy
Young biologists take a look at the myriad of ways that animals increase their chances of surviving in the wild. The adaptations help animals hide, hunt, and attract a mate. This lesson specifically explores how insect mouth parts are...
Curated OER
Edible Bug Project
Students recognize the characteristics of insects. In this edible bugs lesson, students observe the body parts of an insect. Students create an edible insect using a grape, carrot sticks and sorrel stems and leaves. Students share the...
Curated OER
Science: How to Identify Insects
First graders discover how to distinguish spiders from insects by understanding the characteristics of each. They sort online picture pages into the two groups and examine the insects for common attributes. Students complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
What is an Insect?
Young scholars examine insects and identify physical characteristics of insects. They perform observations of insects, then use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to answer questions about them.