Insects

Natural Science

Types of Insects

Common insects: The insects we see around us.
Butterfly, fly, mosquitoes, ants, caterpillars, beetles, cockroach, spiders and bees

Class Activity
Identifying insects using concrete insect objects

Different in how they look.

Characteristics

3 main body parts:
Head, Thorax
and abdomen.
3 leg and 2 antennae's

Taste food with their feet.

Life cycle and life span

Species: (definition) Different types of insects:
5.5 million species of insects on earth.

some insects are cold blooded and cannot survive the cold seasons

Exoskeleton
(New concept introduced) Hard outer layer around their body.
They do not have a skeleton inside their body.

Some have wings. different colors and textures of their body.

The mayfly cannot eat when it becomes an adult and only lives for an hour.

Spiders and cockroaches - 2 years

Mosquitos- 1 month

Flies - 15-25 days

Bees - 2-3 years

Caterpillars - 3-4 week

These insects live for about a year

Lifecycle of a butterfly, Metaphorphosis

Social Science

Habitat - Where insects live?

Insects live in all types of environments. Sand, water, trees, rainforests.

How Insect helps us

Insect farming helps our ecosystem.
Insects are high in protein and considered as an alternative source of protein. Used for fertilizer and animal feed

Pollination- We rely on insects to pollinate crops which become our food.

Bees are known as common pollinators. Insects such as butterflies, moths and beetles pollinate too.

Pollination increases the quality and quantity of crops

Names of homes:
Ant - Anthill
Bee- Beehive
Caterpillar - Cocoon

Technology

Structure

Outer structure: Exoskeleton.
Hard like armor to protect the insect

Structure of insect eggs
Some Butterfly and moth lay colorful eggs
Majorities of other insects are dull

Class activity:
Creative activity:
Design a caterpillar with egg cartons

Pest control

Mosquitoe sprays like peaceful sleep
and other repellents

Fly trap using ultra Violet light (may be seen in restaurants and some homes)

New technology pest control inventions

How animals homes are built?

How insects are harmful to us

Female mosquitoes feed on blood.
Male mosquitoes feed of plants.
Mosquitoes carry diseases (malaria, zika virus)

Bees sting
Some people are allergic to bee stings and can become seriously ill.

Some insects feed of our plants destroying them.

Class activity:
Design a fly trap using boxes

Class activity:
Story stones:
Lifestyle of a butterfly

Class Activity:
Sequence activity.
Cut out the main body parts of the ant insect
Paste them in order in busy book.

Outdoor activity:
Recognize and count insects in the garden play area

Class activity:
Sand box and water trough and leaves .
Match then insect to its home.

Describe the habitats
Example: mosquitoes like damp areas for breeding

Bees make the honey we eat
Processs: hoe bees make honey

Class activity:
Problem solving and class discussion about getting bitten by mosquitoes activities:
What are the home remedies for insect bites.

Class activity:
Video on pollination
Get learners to participate in a pollination activity using yellow and orange pom poms

Many insects live underground creating a tunnel structure to move freely

Materials used:,Tree bark,Rocks,Sand,Grass, Silk

Class activity:
Make tunnels using your hands in the sand pit.

observation Activity using Fascinations AntWorks:
Watch how ants dig out of the sand.

Processes:
How insects lay eggs?
How bees make honey?
How pollination takes place?
How pest control is managed?

Experiment: watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly

"Insect farming for food and animal feed could offer an environmentally friendly solution to the impending food crisis;" (World economic forum,2021)

"With an estimated 5.5 million species," (THOMPSON EARTH SYSTEMS INSTITUTE, 2023)

"Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce."(U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,2023)