Insect Trunk

Target Grades: 1st – 3rd  

Objective: Students will explore and describe insects and their life cycles, body structure, habitat needs, food sources, locomotion, and predators. Students will observe insects common to central Minnesota and discuss how human actions affect insect populations.
Thematic Areas: Structure, Life Cycles, Basic Needs, Habitats, and Human Impact

Materials Provided:  

• Curriculum Binder
  • Activity Instructions
  • Arboretum insect field trip overview
• Books
  • Creepy Crawlies A to Z by Louisa Ainsworth
  • Grub to Ladybug by Melvin & Gilda Berger
  • Caterpillar to Butterfly by Melvin & Gilda Berger
  • Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! By Bob Barner
  • Big Bugs by Seymour Simon
  • Ladybugs Red Fiery and Bright by Mia Posada
  • The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne & Cathy Shimmen
  • 1001 Bugs to Spot by Emma Helbrough
  • Bug Safari by Bob Barner 
  • Eyewitness Insect by Laurence Mound
  • Insectigations by Cindy Blobaum
  • The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliot and Wil Hershberger
  • Over in the Garden  by Jennifer Wardx
• Media
  • Insect Eyewitness: DVD
  • The Songs of Insects: CD
  • Insect Metamorphosis: Poster
  • Jurassic Yard Dragonflies and Damselflies: Poster
• Activity Materials
  • 1 Insect Clever Catch inflatable ball
  • 30 magnifying glasses
  • 1 observation container
  • 4 Insect Viewers

Activities Provided:

• Small Group
  • Insect Metamorphosis Card Game – Life Cycle
    • 52 playing cards and Insect metamorphosis poster
  • Buggy Bodies – Structure
    • 3 cards of each- legs, body, wings, and antennae- magnifying glasses, and Venn Diagram/ T chart
  • What’s for Dinner Match Up – Basic Needs
    • 7 insect picture cards and 7 food description cards
  • Grasshopper Gravity – Structure
    • Magnifying glasses
  • Where Insects Live – Habitat
    • 4 sets of each- plastic insects, clue cards, and habitat pictures
• Large Group
  • Insects “Around the World” – Structure
    • 54 Insect trivia cards
  • Insect Bingo – Structure
    • 30 bingo playing cards and 24 bingo calling cards
  • Insect Hunt – Human Impact
    • Insect worksheet (in curriculum binder)
  • Buggy Lunch – Basic Needs
    • 16 Insect picture cards, 4 insect mouth part cards, 1 sponges, pliers, 1 pins, 1 straw, party blower
  • Staying Alive – Habitat
    • 30 insect picture cards and 6 habitat cards
  • Birds and Worms – Habitat
    • Bag of colored foam animal cut outs or colored paper strips