Friday 4 November 2011

Insect Lesson Plans

Most kids are fascinated with different types of insects, and there are a variety of that can aid the teachers and students to effectively learn about these creatures.  There are a variety of sources for these lesson plans, and they include a variety of crafts, observation of the colony’s interactions of the members, and identification of the different species. 

 

There are a variety of lesson plans specific for students that are in Kindergarten and up through the sixth grade that will help them learn different aspects of these “bugs”.

 

Kindergarten through Second Grade Plans          

 

For the younger children, from about age five through age seven the have goals that are set to help them understand the traits of these creatures.  To accomplish this objective, they will use replicas of the various insects, and they will have photographs as well to assist in identification.  These students will learn how to identify an insect and tell what classifies them from other species; basically they will learn sorting and classification skills.  They will learn about the body parts of the insect, identify a variety of definitions, and match the definitions to the body part.

 

Third and Fourth Grades

 

Now that the students have learned the basics of sorting and classifying these insects, the will increase their knowledge by learning about systematics.  This stage in the process helps students be able to more clearly identify the different species.  These also include replicated insects as well as the photographs to help students identify the various insects.  They will continue learning more of the characteristics of each species.  They will also add non-insects to the collection and have activities to help them learn to distinguish between the two.

 

Fifth and Sixth Grades

 

By this time the students should have a good understand of the various types of insects as well as the difference between insects and non-insects.  They will now learn about the characteristics that distinguish identifying a mammal from an insect, and how they are classified.  Arthropods are added to this group and students learn the difference between Arachnids, Crustaceans, and the multi-legged centipedes and millipedes.  They will learn about the body parts of these creatures and the terms that match those body parts.

 

Older Grades Seven through Twelve

 

For the older students, there are more advanced activities including various habitats and more advanced identification so the different species and phylum.  They will study more anatomy, complete ecosystems, and each species’ contribution to the environment.

 

Activities

 

When learning about these different species, there are a variety of activities that the entire class can participate to help them learn.  Such activities could include an ant or butterfly farm, where students can learn about their habits, communications abilities, and the life cycles of the various species. 

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