Insects are a popular topic in elementary and primary science, and for good reason. They are a great way to connect children with nature that they might see in their local area, and they can be linked to many areas of natural science, including food chains, habitats, and classification.
One of the key things children will learn about is the anatomy of an insect, and how their features differ from those of other invertebrates.
What are the features of an insect?
For younger children, the key features to introduce are:
- 6 legs – insects have 3 pairs of jointed legs which connect to the thorax.
- 3 body parts – insects have a head, thorax, and abdomen.
- A pair of antennae – these are attached to the head and can be short, long, or somewhere in between. For example, on a house fly or dragonfly, you have to look very closely to spot the antennae. However, those on a butterfly are generally long and thin.
- Wings – not all insects have wings, but many have either 1 or 2 pairs.
You may also want to introduce the following:
- Exoskeleton – the hardened outer covering of an insect. This feature is also shared by other arthropods, including crustaceans (such as crabs and shrimp) and arachnids (such as spiders).
- Compound eyes – insects usually have two compound eyes made up of many tiny light-detecting units called ommatidia.
- Spiracles – small openings in the exoskeleton that allow gas exchange. Spiracles are not unique to insects; many arachnids also have spiracles.
What misconceptions could children have about insects?
Working in science education for over 15 years, I’ve noticed a few misconceptions children can have about insects.
- Spiders, worms, centipedes, and woodlice are insects
Children may see other bugs and assume they are insects due to their appearance. It’s a good opportunity to count the legs and see if they have 6!
- Insects are pests/unwanted/dirty
Whilst it’s certainly true that insects can be pests, particularly in the farming industry, the benefits of having insects around are huge! Many are essential for pollination, decomposition of dead material, sustaining food webs, and much more
- All insects are very small
I live in the UK, and generally, all of our insects are pretty tiny. However, in other parts of the world, they can grow much bigger. The longest insect, a stick insect from China, grows up to 64cm!
Helping children identify insects
One of the best ways to familiarize children with insects, their body parts, and their diversity is to examine them firsthand. This could be through nature studies in your local area, in the classroom, or even with photographs.
For the best free photo sites, check out my post here.
If you are planning to use clip art pictures of insects, choose realistic options. This will help children connect what they are learning on paper, to what they see outside.
You can read more about why realistic graphics are important for science here.
Free teaching resource: Is it an insect?
For a quick and easy activity to check children’s understanding of what an insect is, try these ‘is it an insect?’ worksheets. With 3 options to choose from, each with realistic graphics that allow children to use their observation skills to work out which bugs are insects, then check a box under each one. You can download it here.
Build a 3D insect – a fun science craft for younger children
This anatomy craft will help children learn about the body parts of an insect, whilst building their own. As well as being a hands-on science activity, this will help children develop their scissor and fine motor skills as they cut, fold, and glue the pieces together.
You can get the template and full directions in my TPT store here.
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