A guide for using our resources

Children will examine how to use their senses to learn about insects.

Vocabulary: bugs, insects

Science Focus: five senses, insects

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

Paired Text: Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming

  • Rhythmic, rhyming text and beautiful illustrations celebrate all kinds of beetles in this story. The musicality of language makes this book special.

Science: Insect Parts

  • Build children’s science knowledge and vocabulary with this bonus skill sheet! Let children cut on the dotted lines and then put the insect back together, naming each part as they go.

Scavenger Hunt: Pages 2-3

  • Use pages 2-3 of the issue to do this scavenger hunt as a group.

1.  Find the picture of the insect that makes its own light. Put a ✔ on it.

2. Find the heading. Underline it.

3. In the yellow box, find the word that means both bother and insect. Circle it.

4. Look at the red box. Find three creepy-crawlies that are not insects.

Hands-on Activity: Egg Carton Insects

Skill: art, science

Materials: egg cartons; art materials such as paint, markers, googly eyes, and pom-poms; pipe cleaners; a push pin or tape

  • This activity combines art, science, fine-motor skills, and counting. In advance, cut egg cartons into sections. You can cut them for different-shaped insects. Some may be a single cup, some may be two attached cups, and some may be three. When turned upside-down, they will make insects.
  • Trim the edges so the insects are even all the way around. Next cut pipe cleaners into pieces for legs.
  • Let children choose their insect shape and paint it. Once the paint dries, add eyes and legs. Remind kids that every insect has six! Children can help you attach six legs by taping them to the inside or threading the legs through holes you make with a push pin.
  • When kids are finished, display the bugs in an “Insect Museum” for all to enjoy!