Insect Teacher Resources

I'll scratch your back, if you'll scratch mine—unless someone else comes along that is a better scratcher! Examine the fickle nature of rainforest insects using a captivating video. The narrator describes the mutualistic relationship...

Octopi transfer sperm by a modified arm tip. Other interesting and weird facts about octopus sex in included in an intriguing video. Brain Scoop presents the seventh part of a series on an adventure at the Field Museum as part of its...

One study found there could be as many as 30,000 species of parasitic worms. Very few scientists study parasites, yet the need for a better understanding continues to prove itself. Brain Scoop presents a strong case for studying and...

What's the difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon? A chrysalis comes from the butterfly's skin, while a cocoon comes from any nearby materials a moth uses. The Brain Scoop video explains the similarities and differences between...

Insects threaten the food production industry, and aphids are one of the big players! Analyzing data of aphid populations gives insight into their behaviors. Learners model the population data of an uninhibited population with an...

Dragonflies have existed for more than 320 million years and used to have a wingspan of more than two feet. An informative video helps viewers understand the adaptations of this insect to survive longer than the dinosaurs, and their...

Some praying mantises find themselves decapitated and yet still find a way to actively mate. Learn more about these savage insects and why they behave this way. Viewers observe high detail, graphic videos of various mating scenarios...

Take a tour through the Amazon rain forest at night! A video leads an expedition through a rain forest highlighting the nocturnal wildlife. The participants find reptiles, arachnids, insects, and more during their journey.

An entomologist named Geroge Vernon Hudson is credited with proposing Daylight Saving Time (DST) so he could better study his insects. Using the informative website, scholars read a brief introduction to the topic and then explore the...

Immerse yourself in the world of giant bugs, rolling peaches, and brave little boys with an interdisciplinary unit on James and the Giant Peach. Young readers focus on the scientific themes of Roald Dahl's classic novel with bug hunts,...

Bring the outside in to make observations in a controlled environment. Pupils learn about predator-prey relationships with spiders firsthand. They first construct a spider habitat and then feed the spider insects to make observations...

Hit the jackpot by playing nature bingo. Scholars go on a nature walk and record observations in their notebooks. They see how many types of trees and insects they observe and play a nature bingo game where they find different natural...

Insert text box here. Learners use index cards to create their own informational text boxes. The text box includes information about an insect in the rainforest. Scholars also complete the draft of their research science journal entries.

Learn the tricks plants use to attract insects and animals in their quest for pollination. A thorough video lesson describes plant adaptations that meet their reproductive needs. From bees to rodents to bats, the narrator describes how...

The naked mole rat is truly unique! So unique, it was recently placed in its own family. What makes it so special? Discover its amazing story with a video from an exciting mammals playlist. A naked mole rat expert explains its...

The development of the male and female gametes in a plant is illustrated, explaining plant fertilization, pollination, and reproduction. Overall, get a complete picture of the life cycle of a flowering plant with some wonderful details...

Key to understanding scientific or technical texts is identifying the underlying question the author is attempting to answer. Provide your young scientists with an opportunity to practice identifying these questions and the procedures...

Pupils discuss the reasons why humans fight and look for similiarties in animals. They make predictions on what they think will happen when they observe insect crowding. They make conclusions about their predictions to end the lesson.

Students examine the disease malaria. They compare how diseases were spread in the early 1900's compared to how they are spread today and discuss why that is dangerous. They take a survey to see how much they know about insects that...

Fifth graders visit the playground to look for signs of life. They search for insects, birds, animal tracks, feathers, nests, trees, soil, etc. They then compose a class list that shows all findings in the schoolyard and post it in the...

Students discover the life cycle of a butterfly and explain the different stages.  In this exploratory lesson students watch a video and create insect art and they will get an opportunity to view live specimens of butterflies. 

You class will read Cucumber Soup by Vickie Leigh Krudwig as an anticipatory set for this lesson on ratios. They make models of the insects in the story and then use them as a source of data for this ratio and proportion lesson. This...

Students use the internet to gather more information on the anatomy of the Manduca. They make predictions of what the insect will look like when it hatches and complete a crossword puzzle to practice their vocabulary. They continue to...

Pupils sort animal picture cards into classification groups such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and fish. They discuss the characteristics that each group of animals shares then arrange the pictures into a clasificatioon poster.