Create a Classroom Insect Collection

This lesson plan works best in the fall or late spring. Students can take pictures of the insects before starting the Arthropod unit and use their pictures to identify their "collections" in the middle of the winter!

Subject: Science- Life Science (Arthropods/Entomology)

Duration: Approximately one week of 45 minute class periods. Possibly more time needed for presentations and/or book assembly.

Goals: The students will collect insects by capturing their images using a digital camera. They will use the images to identify the insects using classroom materials as well as images and information found on the internet.

Objectives: Students will
1. Use appropriate instruments and apparatus (digital cameras and computers) to study materials (insects).
2. Describe the similarities and differences that characterize diverse living things.
3. Describe how the structures of living things help them function in unique ways.
4. Explain how to use a various keys to identify and animals.

Introduction:
Take the students outside to collect images of insects found outside of the school building. Explain that insects are very diverse and can be found in a number of different places. If desired, have students pick specific areas to search for their insects (near water, under branches, on the building walls, etc.). Have small groups of students take pictures of the insects that they find. Depending upon the weather and the student's ability to find the insects this step may take one or two class periods.

Download the images onto computers and then burn them onto CDs. Have each group of students identify five of the insect images. If some groups did not find five different insects, images can be shared and/or redistributed within the classroom.

Have the students turn on the computers and connect to the Internet. Explain to the class that they should use some of the websites listed below to help them identify their insects. If they intend on using another website be sure to have the teacher approve it first.

Tell your class to note the name of the insect once they have identified it.
The next day, have the students connect to the Internet again. This time, tell them to search the Internet for the Kingdom, Species, and Class of each insect.
Students that complete their tasks early can be assigned to other groups that still may be struggling. You should also ask your student to find some interesting facts about their insects.
When all insect images have been identified, the entire class can collaborate together to make a class BUG BOOK. Each student can design a page in the book that features one or two insects that they have identified. Each page will feature the insect image, the name of that insect, the names of the wildlife photographers, the interesting facts that they discovered about their insects and the citation of which the resource they used to obtain their information. Each page can be printed out and then bound together in a book. A class Powerpoint could also be created using the same information as well.

Assessment:
Assessment will be done by the accuracy of the identification and validity of the information given about each insect. The project will also be assessed by citations documenting where they found their information. The last part of the assessment is individual group grading in which memebers of each small group grade each other (anonymously) about their contributions to the group's final product (book pages).