Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! We'll send you regular emails filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now   ACTIVITY What Makes an Insect an Insect? By Shelley Butler If you asked a preschooler to identify a bug, they would do so easily, but looking into what really makes an insect an insect provides fascinating exploration. Curriculum Area Science Before You Start Place each kind of bug in its own bug box with its food source Create stations where preschoolers can divide into three groups and take turns using the magnifying glass for observation. Let's Begin 1. Explain that all insects have an exoskeleton—a hard outer body that keeps safe all the soft parts on this inside. The bodies are divided into parts. Some bugs like beetles go through stages before they reach maturity—in one stage, a bug is called a “larva” (plural is “larvae”). 2. Show the boxes of insects one at a time and ask children for their observations such as color, size, legs, etc. Ask if both things are insects or not—why or why not. Then, explain that the mealworm is not really a worm, but a beetle in the larva stage of life. 3. Demonstrate how to use a magnifying glass to see more details. 4. Divide children into groups and ask them to take turns looking at the bugs with the magnifying glass. Record their observations. Furthermore To see real nature in action, set up an anole (small green lizard) habitat and feed them live crickets when children are present so they can witness the hunt and capture of live insects for food.   Two magnifying glasses. Purchase two large clear bug boxes or collect two clear containers and two pieces of screen. The holes must be very small in ready-made bug boxes, or fasten a piece of screen securely over the top of clear containers for a good escape-proof top. Crickets and mealworms – purchase at a pet store. Buy at least three crickets and five mealworms. Food for the insects: a piece of apple and corn meal or other grain for the mealworms, and slices of orange and just about any other food for crickets. Paper or chalkboard to record observations. Articles and activities listed on this website may be printed for single use. No article or activity may be duplicated or distributed in any form, in whole or in part, without permission from the publisher, Excelligence Learning Corporation. Contact Permissions Department.

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