Insect Unit Lesson Plans

Insect Unit: Lesson 1

Grade: 1st
Time: 40 minutes
Objectives:
Students will defend their choice of whether or not to step on an insect
Standard:
LS1.A: Structure and Function
All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in
different ways to see, hear, grasp object, protect themselves, move from place
to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
Materials:
Book: Hey, Little Ant
Large paper with writing lines
Regular paper
Glue
Crayons
Procedure:
First, read aloud the book Hey, Little Ant
While reading ask questions to the students
o Have you ever stepped on an insect before?
o How did you feel?
Also while reading, explain to students that they should be thinking about
whether they would step on the ant or not. Explain that they will be writing
about it when the book is over.
Next, have students go back their desk
Hand out large paper with writing lines and prompting question on it
Give directions
1. Respond to the question with how you think the boy should have
acted
2. Make sure to include why
3. Put words that students could use on the board
a. Students should begin with I would.. because..
b. Step
c. Squish
d. Nice
e. Bad
f. Mean
g. Bug
h. Insect

4. Then, draw a picture showing the scene in the book where the ant is
about to get stepped on
5. Show example on the board
When most students are done bring them back to the carpet area and have as
many students share as time allows

Evaluation:
Were students able to participate in class discussion?
While students are working on the response and picture, walk around with
formative assessment checklist. Could also fill this out while students are
sharing their work if time allows for every student to share.

Insect Unit: Lesson 2

Grade: 1st
Time: 40 minutes
Objectives:
Students will explain what an exoskeleton is and how it is similar to our skeleton
Standard:
LS1.A: Structure and Function
All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in
different ways to see, hear, grasp object, protect themselves, move from place
to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
Materials:
Newspaper balloon already made
Fake bugs
Glue (3 bottles)
Paper with writing lines
Procedure:
Bring students to the carpet area
Begin by having a discussion about the book we read yesterday Hey, Little
Ant
o Have students ever stepped on an insect?
o What does it sound like?
o Why?
o What protects an insect?
o What protects us?
Explain to students that the sound of the insects crunching is their
exoskeleton. It protects them. It is like a suit of armor. It is similar to our
skeleton, except it is on the outside of the insect. Our skeleton is on the
inside of our body. Our skin also protects us.
Demonstrate newspaper balloon. The newspaper that is glued on the outside
of the balloon represents the exoskeleton. Blow air into the balloon and the
newspaper will start to crack and eventually falls off. This represents an
insect shedding its exoskeleton and then it has to make a new one.
Next, send students back to their desk
Explain that they are going to have an exoskeleton on their hand. I will walk
around and put glue on each students hand. They should use their other
index finger to run in the glue. They should then hold out their hand until it
dries. When it dries, they can peel it off. Explain that this is like an insect
shedding its exoskeleton.
While the glue is drying, explain directions for the writing activity
o Students should first write the sentences on the lined paper

o Then, they can draw a picture of an insect exoskeleton and color

o Read the sentence together as a class. Ask students what word should
go into the blank.
o Before writing Exoskeleton on the board, ask students what the
answer is. Once they say exoskeleton, write it on the board so they
can copy it into the sentence.
Allow time for students to peel off glue and wash hands
Hand out lined paper
Students should complete the sentence that is on the board
o A hard shell called the ___________ protects insects. It is like our
skeleton, but it is on the outside of their body.
Exoskeleton
While students are working, walk around with the formative assessment
checklist
If time allows, have students share

Evaluation:
Were students able to participate in class discussion?
Did they participate in the group activity?
While students are working on exoskeleton sentence and picture, walk
around with formative assessment checklist.

Insects Unit: Lesson 3

Grade: 1st
Time: 40 minutes
Objective:
Students will match names of body parts to a picture of an ant
Standard:
LS1.A: Structure and Function
All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in
different ways to see, hear, grasp object, protect themselves, move from place
to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
Materials:
Insect part picture
Parts of an Insect read aloud
Label an Insect activity papers
Large paper
Fill in the blank sentence
Scissors
Glue
Procedure:
Have students come to the carpet area
Show pictures of real exoskeletons to review from the lesson yesterday
Ask them what an exoskeleton is and what is does
Hand out Insect part picture to each student
Read through the Parts of an Insect read aloud
Ask questions provided on the read aloud
When the book is finished ask review questions to see if the students
understand
o What are the parts of an insect?
o Do all insects have these parts?
Send student back to their desks
Hand out Parts of an Insect activity
Read through the sentence that students will have to complete after doing
the Parts of an Insect activity.
Explain to students how to complete this activity
o First, cut out the parts of the insect
o Set them where they go on the insect
o Check with a teacher before you begin gluing
o Once you get an ok from the teacher begin gluing the words
o After all of the words are glued, and they have glued the picture to
their large piece of paper, they should fill in the blanks on the

sentence provided on their paper. The words will be on the board for
students to look at
Sentence: All insects have a ____________ , ______________,
______________ , and six _____________. Some insects have
____________ and _____________.
o Head
o Thorax
o Abdomen
o Legs
o Wings
o Antennas
If students get done early, they may color their insect
If time allows, have some students share their work at the carpet area

Evaluation:
Did students participate in class discussion?
Were they able to contribute to the whole class answers to the activities?
Were they able to complete the Parts of an Insect activity and write the sentences?
While students are working on Parts of an Insect activity and sentences, walk
around with formative assessment checklist

Insect Unit: Lesson 4

Grade: 1st
Time: 40 minutes
Objectives:
Students will observe live insects and be able to distinguish between insects and
non-insects
Standard:
LS1.A: Structure and Function
All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in
different ways to see, hear, grasp object, protect themselves, move from place
to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
Materials:
Two live insects and one live bug
Matching Activity Materials (Insect and Non-Insect t-chart and insect and non-insect
pictures for each student)
Proscope
Computer
Procedure:
Bring students to the carpet area
Review parts of an insect
o What are the parts of an insect?
o Do all insects have these parts?
o What are the parts that only some insects have?
Show them the three live bugs you brought. Explain that two of them are
insects and one isnt. While they are up observing the bugs, they should be
thinking about what kind of bug each is and which one isnt an insect. They
need to think all of those things in their head and not tell anyone.
Explain to the students the insect and non-insect matching activity
o Students should cut out all of the bugs
o Set them on which side of the t-chart they think they go
o Check with teacher before gluing the pieces down
o Once students get an ok from teacher, they can glue them down
While students are working on this activity, bring 2 or 3 students to observe
the insects and use the Proscope
When all the directs are explained, send students back to their desk to work
If students get done early, they can color their insects/bugs
When most students are done, bring them to the carpet to share.
Once everyone is done observing the bugs, have a class discussion. Also, go
though the Insect/Non-Insect matching activity
o What types of bugs were up there?
o Which ones were insects?

o Which one wasnt? Why?

Evaluation:
Were students able to participate in class discussion?
Were they engaged in observing the live insects?
Did they complete the Insect/Non-Insect correctly?
Did they participate in the Bug in the Pocket game?
While students are working on Insect/Non-Insect matching activity, walk around
with formative assessment checklist

Insect Unit- Lesson 5

Grade: 1st
Time: 40 minutes
Objective:
Students will construct their own insect out of given materials and then explain why
it is an insect
Standard:
LS1.A: Structure and Function
All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in
different ways to see, hear, grasp object, protect themselves, move from place
to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
Materials:
Marshmallows (large and small)
Pretzels (sticks and folded)
Licorice
Chocolate chips
Sour oranges
Sugar
Sprinkles
Graham crackers
Paper plates
Paper for drawing and writing of sentences
Procedure:
Bring the students to the carpet area
Review the parts of an insect
Explain to students that they will be making their own insect with the food
materials provided. They need to include all of the parts of an insect that we
have been talking about.
o Head
o Thorax
o Abdomen
o 6 legs
o 2 eyes
o Exoskeleton
o Optional: Wings and 2 Antennas
Remind students that they need to include an exoskeleton. That should be
done with either sugar or sprinkles. When students are ready to include the
exoskeleton, they should raise their hand and the teacher will sprinkle sugar
or sprinkles onto the created insect. The student can choose either sugar or
sprinkles.

After they make their insect they should draw it, name it, and label the parts.
They can name it whatever they want, be creative!
When most students are done, have them come to the carpet area to share.
Have as many students share as possible.
If time allows, play Bug in the Pocket
o Put bugs and question cards in the blue pockets in the carpet area
o Pick out one student to start
o Take them out to the hallway to choose an insect
o Student should put the bug in their pocket
o The student with the bug picks friends to ask questions
o The student that guesses the correct bug, gets to go next

Evaluation:
Were students able to create their own insect that includes all of the parts of an
insect?
Were they able to label the insect correctly?
Students sharing to the class what insect they created and the sentences