Building an Insect Zoo Insect Thematic Unit
With over a million different species, insects cover the earth! Although not loved by every teacher, students are usually fascinated with insects! They make an ideal subject for study at almost any time of the year.
Building an Insect Zoo inside your classroom, or homeschool environment, is great fun, and will truly be a hit! Insects are everywhere! Consequently, they will be easy to have on hand for hands-on exploration and discovery learning. The opportunity to observe insects will capture the imagination and attention of your students and takes very little effort.
To create the environment for your little entomologists, your area should have defined areas to study and record. Remember to stock the area with microscopes, magnifying glasses, and other scientific tools.
Provide a few plastic and real insects and a magnifying glass. Plastic insects make perfect models for close examination in a sensory table; live insects in see-through plastic containers add a dimension of reality to this science unit. My students enjoy bringing in specimens to add to the zoo, adding to personal enjoyment and a home/school connection.
I love to feature a science unit that kids love and then take the opportunity to grab students attention for academic subjects. The “Insect Zoo” unit below is divided into areas of literature, music, art, literacy activities/worksheets, math activities/worksheets, creative writing and guided reading. The activities are clearly written, easy to use, and need limited amounts of preparation and leads to a great thematic BUGGY experience.
Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!
Product Description
This Insect thematic unit is strategically linked to academic core standards. It is divided into areas of literature, media, music, art, literacy activities, math activities, worksheets, science activities, creative writing, word wall words, and guided reading. The activities are clearly written, easy to use, and need limited amounts of preparation. Studying insects has never been so much fun.
Literacy Activities:
Fly Away Fly: Letter Identification
Fly Away Words: Sight Word Recognition
Buggy Bug Match: Sight Word (or Alphabet) Match
Bug Rhymes: Matching Rhymes
Ladybug Spots: Recognizing Words in Speech.
Letters Buzzing In My Name: Recognizing/Writing Letters In Names
Independent Activities
Trace & Write Letters A-Z
Math Activities:
Catching Insects: Sorting
My Bug Collection: Addition
Bug-a-Boo: Geometric Shapes
Construct a Bug: Exploring Probability.
Bugs Count: Developing Number Sense
Science Activities
Creating an Insect Zoo
Insect Memory: Matching Identical Insects.
Insect Observation: Observing Features
Insect Magnification:Using Scientific Tools
Independent Activities
Insect Body Parts
Songs/Fingerplays
Freddy Flea
The Firefly & Other Insects
The Bees
Guided Reading Books
The Insects- Level A
The Insects- Level C
Little Ladybugs
Writing Prompts/Word Wall
Our Insect Zoo
All About Lady Bugs
Insect Word Wall Words
Art Projects
Ladybug Ladybug
My Insect
Baby Bumblebee
Paint a Bug