Intriguing Insects

Intriguing Insects lesson plan

Beetles and bugs are awesome! Take a close look at crawling creatures and draw one that's larger than life.

  • 1.

    Did you know that insects outnumber all other animals on Earth? For each person, there are 200 million insects. That's 10 million per square kilometer. There are 30 million insect species, some of which have not even been named or catalogued by entomologists. Could this be a career for you?

  • 2.

    Adult insect bodies are made of three main parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. Identify which is the front, middle and rear part. An outer covering protects and supports the insect's body. Insects belong to a group of animals called arthropods. Find out what other creatures are arthropods.

  • 3.

    Eyes, mouth parts, and antennae are located on insects' heads. Insects have three pairs of jointed legs attached to the three segments of the thorax. If the insect has wings, they are also attached in pairs to parts of the insect's middle section. Find out the functions of each of these body parts. Where are the insect's internal body organs located? Imagine how tiny they are!

  • 4.

    After studying insects, choose one insect that intrigues you. Become an expert on that bug. Find out what it looks like, what size it is, where it lives, what it eats, and other details.

  • 5.

    Using Crayola® Washable Markers, draw your insect in its natural habitat. Show details such as food sources, predators, and features of its home.

Benefits

  • Students learn that insects outnumber all other animals, and gain a sense of their immense numbers.
  • Students identify the names of insects' body parts and recognize other distinguishing characteristics
  • Children study one insect in depth and represent their findings visually in detailed drawings.

Adaptations

  • Make a 3D model of the insect in the drawing with Crayola Model Magic.
  • Students who have special needs may find it beneficial to observe insects in the outdoors or large-scale models of them before exploring print materials or researching insects on Internet sites.
  • Many insects live on and in soil. Observe different soil samples to see the variety of insects living in and around them.
  • Study the lifecycle of an insect through its egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Make drawings or sculptures of each stage. Invite an entomologist to show and explain an insect collection to the class.