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What Makes an Insect an Insect?
Shelley Hill | May 17, 2011 | Comment
During our Eco-Friends class time over the past few weeks, students were posed with the question, “What makes an insect and insect?” Our students combined their prior knowledge with their immediate observations of similarities and differences to discover the unique characteristics of insects.
Our students were introduced to an insect’s three main body parts through a rendition of the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” entitled, “Head, Thorax, Abdomen.” After observing toy insects, student participated in sorting a variety of different “bugs” using a Venn diagram on the SmartBoard. Students were asked to label the bugs by moving them on the screen into a circles labeled “Insect” or “Not an Insect.”
After sifting through scorpions, spiders and worms, students became comfortable with identifying insects through these characteristics: 1) Three Body Parts (head, thorax, abdomen), 2) Eyes, Mouth and Antennae, 3) An Exoskeleton.
While observing and describing pictures, drawings and toy insects helped us learn what to look for when we went outside. Students had the most fun going on an insect hunt in the garden. Our classes identified flies, bumblebees, ants and beetles all living in our garden!
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