Insects

This page includes links to resources to go along with my Insects Unit! Find the Insects Unit and other nature-based learning materials in my Shop!

1.) Additional free lesson plans, printables, and activities (includes external links)

• The Entomology Society of America has lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school.
• Pollinator Partnership has many classroom materials and lessons for a variety of age groups.
• Want to see the insect life cycle up close? Follow this illustrated guide for Rearing Monarchs from MonarchWatch.org
• The US Forest Service has monarch butterfly activities designed for several age groups.
• Let’s Pollinate Activity with Cheetos from Minotaur Mazes – lesson plan. (K-3rd)
• The Amazing Honey Bee lesson plan from National Agriculture in the Classroom (K-2nd)
• This Unusual Pollinators game is a freebie from Wild Earth Lab!  – includes directions and cards. (~3rd-5th)
• When studying insect pollinators, your students will learn a bit about flower anatomy. For more advanced flower anatomy, try this Flower Anatomy Poster and Flower Anatomy Coloring Activity, which are freebies from Wild Earth Lab.
• For more advanced insect anatomy, check out this Ant Anatomy Coloring Activity – another freebie from Wild Earth Lab.
• Researching a favorite insect species? Use these free Animal Research Project worksheets and suggested websites for researching animal species – freebies from Wild Earth Lab. (K-2nd grade).
  

2.) References (external links)

These include reference websites, books, and materials I used to research and fact-check the information within the Insects Unit, as well as websites you may find helpful when gathering background information on this unit’s topic. Use the links below to enjoy the wealth of information these references have to offer!

• The Bee Conservancy (n.d.). Why Bees?. Available: *Source: Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, Renee Johnson, Congressional Research Service 2010.
• Dengler, R. (2018). These Termite Mounds Are 4,000 Years Old — And Still In Use. Discover Magazine. Available: https://www.discovermagazine.com/these-termite-mounds-are-4-000-years-old-and-still-in-use-17
• Evans, E. and Hodgeson, E. (2008). Grasshoppers. Utah State University. Available: https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/research/grasshoppers
• Forest Preserve District Will County (2023). Hop to it with these Five Grasshopper Facts. Available: https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/headlines/news/grasshoppers-five-facts-to-know
• Great Salt Lake Audubon (n.d.). Pollination. Available: https://greatsaltlakeaudubon.org/resources/gsla-fledglings-club/pollination
• Marshall, A. and Niklasson, L. (2020). The Life Cycle of the Ladybug. Pajarito Environmental Education Center. Available: https://peecnature.org/ladybug-life-cycle/
• Monarch Butterfly Fund (n.d.). Life Cycle. Available: https://monarchconservation.org/monarch-status/about-the-monarch-butterfly
• National Geographic Kids (n.d.). 25 Cool Things About Bugs! Available: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/insects/15-facts-about-bugs/
• National Geographic Kids (n.d.). Ladybird Facts. Available: https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/animals/insects/ladybird-facts/
• National Institutes of Health (2024). Mosquitoes Use Infrared Detection to Help Find People. Available: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/mosquitoes-use-infrared-detection-help-find-people
• Royal Entomological Society (n.d.). Facts and Figures. Available: https://www.royensoc.co.uk/understanding-insects/facts-and-figures/
• Smithsonian (n.d.). Fun Facts about Bugs. Available: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/fun-facts-bugs
• U.S. Forest Service (n.d.). Migration and Overwintering. Available: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/index.shtml

3.) Try more units from Wild Earth Lab: