Encounter Kits

Insect Investigations

< Museum Kits

Teacher's Guide

Summary of Contents

ACTIVITY ONE - INSECT ADAPTATIONS

Learning Objective:
Students explore different types of insect features.

Contents:
10 Kaleidoscope lenses
5 Boxes with insect specimens
30 Plastic insect models
20 Magnifying lenses
1 Insect leg adaptation plasmo-mount
1 Honey bee head plasmo-mount
1 Grasshopper head and mouthparts plasmo-mount
NatureScope - Incredible Insects
1 Insect Legs and Insect Mouths - Template
4 Insect Posters (also for use in Insect Diversity Activity)


ACTIVITY TWO - INSECT DIVERSITY

Learning Objective:
Students discover the many different kinds of insects and identify the eight common insect orders.

Contents:
5 June bugs - Coleoptera
5 Paper wasps - Hymenoptera
5 OBIS Activity - Lawn Guide
20 Magnifying lenses For use in all activities.
4 Insect Posters (also for use in Insect Adaptation Activity)
OBIS Activity - Animal Diversity
Reading Rainbow Video Tape - Bugs
4-H Entomology Manual
1 Insect Order Plasmo-mount


ACTIVITY THREE - INVENT AN INSECT

Learning Objective:
Students investigate camouflage and mimicry.

Contents:
OBIS Activity - Invent an Animal
2 Insect Specimens:
      Morpho butterfly
      Monarch butterfly
5 Boxes with insect specimens (Included in Insect Adaptations Activity)
Eyewitness Books: Insect


ACTIVITY FOUR - HOW MANY CAN THERE BEE?

Learning Objective:
Students examine insects' biological success and estimate population numbers.

Contents:
Vial of plastic ants
OBIS Activity - Bean Bugs


ACTIVITY FIVE - SNUG AS A BUG

Learning Objective:
Students create and examine a number of insect homes.

Contents:
5 Bagworm homes
5 Paper wasp's nests
5 Paper wasps (included in Insect Diversity Activity)
1 Large paper wasp nest
OBIS Activity - Snug as a Bug
Eyewitness Books: Insect