“Insect Introduction”

Overview:

· Student introductions (name game, nametags, guessing game)

· Exploring insects and non-insects (kids creating their own definitions of insects)

· Bug pull

· Make an insect

· Collection discussion

· Making sweep nets and kill jars

Activities:

Activity 1: Student introductions (icebreakers)

· Name game—we will let each student make their own nametags using markers, crayons, stickers, etc.

· Insect song

· Guessing game—each student will have a insect description and name on a 3x5 card taped to their back only asking yes or no questions the students will have to figure out the name of their insects.

Activity 2: Exploring insects and non-insects

· Split into groups of 3 or 4

· When examining your insects remember to look at things like legs, body parts, etc.

· Exploring insects and non-insect groups by physical characteristics while handling plastic and real insects

· List insect characteristics identified by students

· Discuss actual definition of an insect (formalizing the definition)

Activity 3: Insect dissection

· Pair up into buddies with each student having a grasshopper

· Student will pull apart grasshoppers legs, antennae, wings, and other body parts

· Discuss and identify body parts (thorax, abdomen, head)

Activity 4: Make an insect (activity found in Make It Work INSECTS by Wendy Baker page 6 and 7)

· Prepare materials to pass out to students

· Each kit will include 8 pipe cleaners, a wooden skewer, 11 wooden beads, colored modeling clay, construction paper

· Have each student mold clay into the head, thorax, and abdomen

· Join the 3 body parts with the wooden skewer

· Bend the pipe cleaners into the shape of legs

· Thread the tip of each pipe cleaner through a wooden bead and push into place in the insects thorax

· Cut the construction paper into wing shapes and stick wings into thorax

· Add pipe cleaners to the head to make antennae and mouth parts

· Add two wooden beads to head for compound eyes

· TA-DA It’s an insect

Activity 5: Discussion of collecting insects and making a collection

· Ask, “How would you go about collecting insects and what would you do once you caught them?”

· Discussion about students ideas

· List ideas that students developed about collecting on chart

· Read a story

Activity 6: Kill jars and sweep nets

· Show the students how to make a kill jar

· Use a clear jar (baby food, mayonnaise) with lid

· In the bottom of the jar place a cotton ball that has been soaked with ethyl acetate (finger nail polish remover).

· Place a card board disc with small holes in it on top of the cotton balls

· The holes in cardboard need to be smaller than specimens that will be collected

· Replace the lid to jar to keep fumes inside

· Soaked cotton balls can be replaced when ethyl acetate has evaporated

· Demonstrate proper use of kill jar

· Instruct students on how to put together the sweep nets (link to instructions)

· Each student will be given one half of a broomstick, net, wire, and hose clip

· Feed wire through the net

· Place ends of wire in grooves

· Clamp wire onto broomstick with hose clip

TEKS:

Activities: