Bugs and Insects

Bugs and Insects

Length of Session: 12 Classes

By the end of this session, children will explore: 

• Bugs and insects found in our area

• Physical characteristics, diets and lifecycle of those common bugs and insects

• Habitats for those bugs and insects

Overview of the Session 

Week 1

Day 1: (Tuesday) Look for bugs at the park. Begin to ID them and count them. 

Day 2: (Thursday) Continue to look for bugs. ID, count and map them. 

Day 3: (Friday) Continue to look for bugs. ID, count and map them. 

Week 2

Day 4: (Tuesday) Worms: Draw and identify parts. 

Day 5: (Thursday) Worms: Observe habitats and build a new habitat for the worms in our classroom. 

Day 6: (Friday) Worms: Lifecycle

Week 3

Day 7: (Tuesday) Pillbugs: Draw and identify parts. 

Day 8: (Thursday) Pillbugs: Observe habitats and build a new habitat for the pillbugs in our classroom.

Day 9: (Friday) Pillbugs: Lifecycle

Week 4

Day 10:  Butterflies: Draw and identify parts. Identify habitat. 

Day 11: Butterflies: Lifecycle and bugs CELEBRATION 

Day 12: (Friday) Butterflies: Lifecycle and bugs CELEBRATION 

Materials for the Teacher to Prep (Week 1): 

1. • Building center:  wooden blocks, plastic bugs, vehicles, magnatiles and hexbugs

   • Sensory bin: 

   • Dramatic play: 

   • Read Alouds: KWL chart on chart paper, Evelyn, the Adventurous Entomologist, Dot and Jabber and the Big Bug Mystery, Mapping Sam

   • Art center: water color paper, colored pencils, watercolors, paint brushes, small cups of water

   • Outdoor Materials: Nature journals (1 per child), magnifying glasses, small plastic bin to hold bugs that we find

Week 1

Day 1: (Tuesday) Look for bugs at the park. Begin to identify the bugs and count them. 

Day 2: (Thursday) Continue to look for bugs. Identify, count and map where we are finding them. 

Day 3: (Friday) Continue to look for bugs. Identify, count and map where we are finding them. 

Circle time (read aloud and/or whole group activity): 

• Day 1 Read Aloud: Evelyn, the Adventurous Entymologist. (What does it mean to be an entymologist? Will WE become people who learn about bugs?)

• After reading, ask the group. "What do you already know about bugs?" Write it down on a KWL chart on the "K" (What I Know) column. 

• Ask kids what they would like to learn about bugs. Add that to the KWL chart on the "W" (What I Want to Know) column. 

• Discuss what an entymologist is and how we will look for bugs together at the park. 

• Introduce the nature journals and how to use them at the park to draw pictures of the bugs that we find. 

• Day 2 and Day 3 Extensions for circle time/whole group time: 

  • Day 2 Read Aloud: Dot and Jabber and the Big Bug Mystery. Extend the ideas of looking for and identifying bugs, to mapping where we find bugs at the park. (We'll do the mapping at the park, as we find bugs) Show kids the map you've made of the park. Explain how it is like what a bird would see as she flies over the park. 

  • Explain that at the park today, we'll use "symbols" to draw where we find bugs. So if I find a worm under the tree, I will draw a worm symbol under the tree. (The teacher can make up the symbols that the class uses. They should be simple and look like the animal.) If I find a roly poly bug in the field, I will draw a circle with 6 legs in the field. 

  • Day 3 Read Aloud: Repeat Evelyn the Entymologist, or if you need a new one, read Mapping Sam by Joyce Hesselberth. Extend the ideas of looking for and identifying bugs, to mapping where we find bugs at the park. (We'll do the mapping at the park, as we find bugs). Similar conversation about what it means to make a map and how we'll use symbols. 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: various blocks, plastic bugs, and vehicles. Extension for days 2 & 3: Add paper in case kids want to draw a map of their "Bug Towns". 

   • Sensory Bins: Dirt, plastic bugs, scoops, cups

   • Dramatic Play: 

   • Library: Various books about bugs

   • Art Center: Colored pencils, watercolor paper and pictures of bugs for inspiration (butterflies, worms, roly poly bugs, beetles). Save these drawings. We will add watercolors to them tomorrow, if kids want to add to them. Extension for days 2 & 3: Add watercolors and paint brushes in case kids want to fill in their drawings with watercolors. 

   • Rug: magnatiles and hexbugs

Outdoor Experiences (movement/science/art): 

Art: Nature Journals: colored pencils/clipcboards and stapled journals with blank paper. Kids can draw illustrations of what they observe. 

Science: Magnifying glasses to look for bugs and a few plastic bins to gently place them in for further observation. 

• Day 2 and Day 3 Extensions for science/art at the park: Bring the large map to the park so that kids can draw where they find certain bugs on the map. If they find a bug, they should come and add it to the map, right away!

Movement: Bug Tag-Choose a few kids (or teachers) to be the taggers. The taggers are called "Bug Catchers". Have all other students spread out in the playing area. The "Bug Catchers" try to tag the other students gently. If a student is tagged, he/she lays on their back with his/her hands and feet up in the air wiggling like a wounded bug. The student continues to be a wounded bug until another student gently touches a wiggling foot or hand. Now the wounded bug may resume play.

To make the game safer or calmer, choose a locomotor movement other than running such as skipping, galloping or even an animal movement.

Make sure to switch "Bug Catchers" (taggers) during the activity.

Extension for movement on Days 2 & 3: You can repeat the tag game or set up an obstacle course so that kids can pretend to be bugs through the obstacle course. 

Additional songs/stories/games: 

Question for the kids: Should we have pet insects in the classroom? Which insects should we have as pets? Why? What would we need in order to make them a happy home? 

Background Information about Insects for teachers: 

Insects are members of a larger group called the arthropods. This group also includes spiders, ticks, centipedes, lobsters, and crabs. Like all arthropods, insects have a body that is divided into segments, or sections. They also lack a skeleton inside the body. Instead, insects and other arthropods have a covering on the outside of the body called an exoskeleton. This exoskeleton protects the body.

Unlike other arthropods, insects have three major body segments. Insects also have six legs. This is one way that insects differ from spiders, which have eight legs. Insects also have at least one pair of antennas, or feelers. Insects have three major segments of their body: head, the thorax, and the abdomen. 

A worm is an invertebrate. A pill bug is an arthropod: crustacean. Butterflies are insects. 

Songs: 

1) Ants Go Marching Song

2) Five Little Ladybugs Song

Five little Ladybugs climbing up a door

One Flew away then there were four

Four Little ladybugs sitting on a tree

One flew away then there were three

Three little ladybugs landed on a shoe

One flew away and then there were two

Two little ladybugs looking for some fun

One flew away and then there was one

One little ladybug sitting in the sun

She flew away and then there were none

3) Insect Song

Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus"

The firefly at night goes blink blink blink

Blink blink blink blink blink blink

The firefly at night goes blink blink blink

All around the town

The bees in the flowers go buzz buzz buzz....

The ants in the grass go march march march...

The crickets in the leaves go chirp chirp chirp...

The caterpillar in the field goes creep creep creep....

4) A Fly is on my Toe

Sung to: "Farmer in the Dell"

A fly is on my toe,

A fly is on my toe,

Hi-ho, just watch me blow.

A fly is on my toe

Other verses: A fly is on my nose ,my head, my ear, my elbow, my knee,

etc..

Materials for the Teacher to Prep (Week 2): 

1. • Building center:  wooden blocks, plastic bugs, vehicles, recyclables and tape, magnatiles and hexbugs

   • Sensory bin: 

   • Dramatic play: 

   • Read Alouds: KWL chart on chart paper, The Worm, Are You Ready to Play Outside?, Worm Weather

   • Art center: playdough, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, thick paper, tempera paints, string/yarn (cut into 8" pieces) and string/yarn taped to paint brushes/stick to drag through paint

   • Outdoor Materials: Nature journals (1 per child), magnifying glasses, small plastic bin to hold worms, measuring tapes, outdoor kitchen gear

Week 2

Day 4: (Tuesday) Worms: Draw and identify parts. 

Day 5: (Thursday) Worms: Identify worm parts, observe their habitat and build a new habitat for the worms in our classroom. 

Day 6: (Friday) Worms: Identify worm parts, observe and make them a habitat and explore their lifecycle

Circle time (read aloud and/or whole group activity): 

• Read, The Worm by Elise Gravel. 

• Discuss what we know about worms and what we would like to learn. Add to our KWL chart from last week. 

• Make a plan to look for worms at the park. Where should we look?  Why? 

Day 2 Read Aloud Extension: Are You Ready to Play Outside? By Mo Willems. Discuss: Why did the worms like the rain? Where do you think we might find more worms? Is it wet in the middle of the field on a flower? Or is it more wet under a tree? What's our plan for the park--where should we look for worms?

Add to our KWL chart from last week. 

Begin to talk about "habitat" and what worms like in their "habitats". Make a map of the park and map where we find worms when we go outside. 

Day 3 Read Aloud Extension: Worm Weather. Similar questions from day 2. 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: Blocks, masking tape to make roads (like a map), vehicles, plastic bugs. Add paper in case kids want to draw a map of their "Bug Towns". Add recyclables and tape so that kids can continue to invent: Skyscrapers? Elevators? Bridges? 

   • Sensory Bins: Cooked spaghetti with tongs. Does this remind us of worms? Why? 

   • Dramatic Play: fairy wings, butterfly wings, stuffed worms, bugs etc. 

   • Library: Various books about bugs. 

   • Art Center:Use playdough to make worms and snakes. Add some googly eyes. What else should we add? Do they have legs? Arms? Teeth? Day 2 and Day 3 Art center extension: Tempera paints and strong paper: use different objects to paint--drag yarn through the paints. Make paint brushes with different lengths of yarn. Does this look like worms moving through the paint? 

Outdoor Experiences (movement/science/art): 

• Science: Bring magnifying glasses to look for worms at the park. Bring a plastic bin to place them in for further obvservation. 

  • • • • Use our map of the park and add symbols/analyze where we find worms. Should we look on trees? In the dirt? In wet dirt or dry dirt? After we find the worms, analyze if our hypotheses were right? Why or why not?

        • Extension days 2 & 3: Begin to make a habitat for the worms. What should we add? What do they like? What do they eat? We also take measuring tapes for any kids who are repeating the worm hunt. They can measure the worms to find the longest/shortest, etc. Some groups would be excited for this and some would be too young! 

• Art: Nature journals and colored pencils

• Movement: Outdoor kitchen: Make worm food! Day 2 & 3 Extension: Pretend to be baby worms and learn about the lifecycle together. 

Additional songs/stories/games: 

Facts about Worms--It's helpful for teachers to read a little about worms ahead of time so that we know what questions to ask as kids engage in fairly open-ended exploration. Some facts to start off: Earthworms are invertebrates (no bones), herbivores (eat leaves and dirt), lifespan: up to 6 years, size: up to 14 inches (We have found 1 or 2 ABSOLUTELY MAMMOTH earthworms at Spy Pond field in the past few years. They seem to be a new invasive species, but they're seriously HUGE. So fun to find. 

Earthworms' bodies are made up of ringlike segments called annuli. These segments are covered in setae, or small bristles, which the worm uses to move and burrow. Earthworms are vital to soil health and to plants growing in it because they transport nutrients and minerals from below to the surface via their waste. An earthworm can eat up to a third of its body weight in a day.

Earthworms do not have eyes. Instead they have cells in their body that sense light. 

Week 3

Day 7: (Tuesday) Pillbugs: Draw and identify parts. 

Day 8: (Thursday) Pillbugs: Identify parts of a pillbug, observe habitats and build a new habitat for the pillbugs to keep in our classroom.

Day 9: (Friday) Pillbugs: Identify parts of a pillbug, observe habitats and build a new habitat for the pillbugs to keep in our classroom. Explore Lifecycle

Circle time (read aloud and/or whole group activity): 

Read aloud: Hank's big day: The story of a pill bug 

What is a pill bug? Have we seen them before? Do they have teeth or claws? (No) Where might we find them? 

Add to our KWL chart and make a plan for the park.

Day 2 Read Aloud Extension: Read aloud: Pill Bug's nonfiction book (any from the classroom library)

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: Blocks, masking tape to make roads (like a map), vehicles, plastic bugs. Add paper in case kids want to draw a map of their "Bug Towns". Add recyclables and tape so that kids can continue to invent: Skyscrapers? Elevators? Bridges? Add new materials this week...anything the kids seem interested in having as a part of their town. 

   • Sensory Bins: Dirt, plastic bugs, scoops and a few squirt bottles of water with pill bugs in them. 

   • Dramatic Play: fairy wings, butterfly wings, stuffed worms, bugs etc. Project a video of pillbugs onto the wall so that kids can see them walking/climbing leaves, etc. 

   • Library: Various books about bugs. 

   • Art Center: Paint rocks to look like pill bugs. Provide tempera paint, paint brushes and clean rocks. 

Day 2 Art Center Extension: Playdough to look like pill bugs. Add pipe cleaners for legs. How many legs do they have? Googly eyes. Teeth? Provide books about pill bugs so that kids can study what they look like. 

Outdoor Experiences (movement/science/art): 

Art: Nature journals/colored pencils

Bring the large map to the park so that kids can draw where they find certain bugs on the map. If they find a bug, they should come and add it to the map, right away!

Science: Magnifying glasses to look for pillbugs and a few plastic bins to gently place them in for further observation. Map where we're finding them. If kids are interested, begin making a habitat for them in a plastic bin. 

Movement: Pill bug tag: we can only crawl on 4 legs during the game! 

Day 2 Movement Extension: Outdoor kitchen to cook pill bug food! What do they eat? Should we cook with flowers or dried leaves? Or rotting wood? (They primarily consume plant matter that is either decaying or is already dead and decomposed. Their preferred foods are soft decaying plants like grasses and leaves)

Day 3 Movement Extension: We can also pretend to be baby pillbugs and have pill bug families. Pillbug life cycle

Additional songs/stories/games: 

Some pill bug info: https://www.thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-pillbugs-4165294

Songs: 

Can you move with me? 

Sung to: "Do Your Ears Hang Low"

Can you wiggle like a worm?

Can you squiggle? Can you squirm?

Can you flutter? Can you fly like a gentle butterfly?

Can you crawl upon the ground

Like a beetle that is round?

Can you move with me?

Can you flip? Can you flop?

Can you give a little hop?

Can you slither like a snake?

Can you give a little shake?

Can you dance like bee

Who is buzzing round a tree?

Can you move with me?

Week 4

Circle time (read aloud and/or whole group activity): 

Read aloud: Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

What is a butterfly? Have we seen them before? Where can we find them? 

Add to our KWL chart about butteflies. What's our plan for the park? Where should we look for them? 

Extension for Read Alouds on Days 2 & 3: Pinkalicious and the Little Buttefly, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Add to KWL charts and begin to think about habitats and lifecycles. 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: Blocks, masking tape to make roads (like a map), vehicles, plastic bugs. Add paper in case kids want to draw a map of their "Bug Towns". Add recyclables and tape so that kids can continue to invent: Skyscrapers? Elevators? Bridges? Add new materials this week...anything the kids seem interested in having as a part of their town. 

   • Sensory Bins: color mixing with liquid water colors, cups and pipettes. What colors can we make? This is transformation, similar to a butterfly's metamorphosis. Extension: Baking soda and vinegar. This is a "transformation" similar to a butterfly's metamorphosis. 

   • Dramatic Play: fairy wings, butterfly wings, stuffed worms, bugs etc. Project a video of butterflies. 

   • Library: Various books about bugs. 

   • Art Center: Symmetry painting. Provide either paper cut to look like a butterfly or rectangular paper. Kids can paint on one side of the paper, fold it in half and see the mirror image on the other side. 

     1. Days 2 & 3 Art Center Extension: Use liquid watercolors to mix colors. Paint on watercolor paper. The color mixing is "transformation" similar to a butterfly's metamorphosis. 

Outdoor Experiences (movement/science/art): 

Art: Nature journals/colored pencils

Bring the large map to the park so that kids can draw where they find certain bugs on the map. If they find a bug, they should come and add it to the map, right away!

Science: Magnifying glasses to look for butterflies and other flying insects!

Movement: Outdoor kitchen to cook butterfly food! What do they eat? (Butterflies drink liquids, primarily nectar from flowers and juices from fruits.)

Pretend to have wings. Take our fairy/butterfly wings outside. 

Movement extension for Days 2 & 3: Pretend to be a baby butterfly and go through a metamorphosis. Butterfly families!

Bees and Butterflies Tag: 

• Designate a playing area with clear boundaries.

• Choose 2 students to be the "bees" and give them the stingers. 

• All other players are butterflies.

• The bees job is to try and sting as many butterflies as possible (tagging them on the legs with the stingers).

• A butterfly that has been stung must stop where it is and freeze. For a butterfly to heal, 2 other butterflies must link arms around the injured butterfly and escort them to a designated area (e.g. center circle) where the bees can't go. 

• Once in the designated area the injured butterfly will count out loud to 5 (or 10) and then they can rejoin the game.

• Play the game for a set time or play until there are only a few butterflies who haven't been stung.

Additional songs/stories/games: 

Songs: 

Flutter, flutter, Butterfly

Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Flutter, flutter, butterfly.

Floating in the summer sky.

Floating by for all to see,

Floating by so merrily.

Flutter, flutter, butterfly,

Floating in the summer sky.