Insect Necklaces

Purpose: At the end of this activity the student will have made his/her own nametag necklace to be used throughout the week. The students will also become more familiar with some common insects. This activity will take 25-30 minutes to complete.

Materials: There should be enough of the following materials supplied, such that each child can make a necklace with his/her name.

• Beading needles
• Letter beads
• Plastic insects
• Fishing line

Motivate! : Students will be asked, how many of them like to wear insects? Students will then be asked, how many of them have ever sewn a necklace using insects? Well, today they will be making special necklaces using insects (plastic) and various beads. Students can create a necklace with the lettered beads and then wear the necklace for the rest of the week as a way for the teachers and fellow students to identify them.

Activity:

• Each student will go to the supply table and select a piece of fishing line, one plastic insect, one beading needle, and then select various other beads (students may select multicolored beads, or lettered beads in order to write their names.)
• Students will then take their supplies and either sitting at a table or sitting on the floor, they can begin threading their beads
  • When threading the beads, the students should first tie a knot at one end of their string. Students can then begin adding the beads.
  • Students may wish to put knots on either side of the beads that they thread, in order to keep the beads in place.
  • Students should be at liberty to make their necklace in any way they wish to.
  • When students are done adding beads, a knot should be made at the tail end of their necklace.
  • In place of a knot, students may close the necklace by making a clasp using a looped shaped knot and a bead on the opposite end of the line.
  • Once the students are done with creating the necklace they can then share it with the group.

Safety Tips:

• Students must be careful when using the beading needles, and the teacher should be watchful of how the needles are being used.
• It is important to make sure the students are not putting any of the beads in their mouths.

Concept Discovery: After the necklaces complete, and as the students share their necklaces, the students ill be asked to share about the insect they have on their necklace. Students can share what they know bout the insect and then they can talk about what they would like to know about the insect. At this time fellow classmates and teachers may offer their own knowledge about the student's particular insect.

Going Further: The teacher can ask the students to further their understanding of this particular insect by having the students do a independent investigation into the insect. The student could then come back to the class and share the information he/she has gained.

Closure: This activity can serve as the introduction or closing to a day of class. The students will then be asked to bring their necklaces to class to wear everyday. The students might share with one another some products that real insects help to create.

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