Beetles and bugs are awesome! Take a close look at crawling creatures and draw one that's larger than life.

• 1.

  Did you know that insects outnumber all other animals on Earth? For each person, there are 200 million insects. That's 10 million per square kilometer. There are 30 million insect species, some of which have not even been named or catalogued by entomologists. Could this be a career for you?

• 2.

  Adult insect bodies are made of three main parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. Identify which is the front, middle and rear part. An outer covering protects and supports the insect's body. Insects belong to a group of animals called arthropods. Find out what other creatures are arthropods.

• 3.

  Eyes, mouth parts, and antennae are located on insects' heads. Insects have three pairs of jointed legs attached to the three segments of the thorax. If the insect has wings, they are also attached in pairs to parts of the insect's middle section. Find out the functions of each of these body parts. Where are the insect's internal body organs located? Imagine how tiny they are!

• 4.

  After studying insects, choose one insect that intrigues you. Become an expert on that bug. Find out what it looks like, what size it is, where it lives, what it eats, and other details.

• 5.

  Using Crayola® Washable Markers, draw your insect in its natural habitat. Show details such as food sources, predators, and features of its home.

Standards

• LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
• LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• LA: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
• SCI: Use simple models to describe that plants and animals have major internal and external structures, including organs, that support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
• VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.
• VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resources include: What Is an Arthropod? by Bobbie Calaman; Bugs: Beetles, Butterflies, Moths, and Other Amazing Arthropods Knowledge Cards Deck by Christopher Marley
• Students select a single arthropod to research in-depth. Using Crayola Model Magic, students create a 3-D model of their arthropod choice and use a recycled shoe box to create an appropriate habitat for the arthropod. Students bring in their completed models on the day of an "Arthropod Invasion" of their school.
• Organize a school grounds field trip for class members. Students will observe different soil samples to see the variety of insects living in and around their school grounds.
• Students study the lifecycle of an insect through its egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Students create drawings or sculptures of each stage.
• Invite a local entomologist to speak with students about his work. Prior to the visit, students compose questions for the interview. After the meeting, students post learning to a class blog.