5th Grade Insect Collection Project

The students received this information in a packet in class, but here's another copy of the information as a resource for you. 

5^th Grade Insect Collection Project

Fifth graders are studying insects in science, so they will prepare an insect collection as a science project. I encourage them to seek help from parents, grandparents, family, and of course MYSELF! 

Insects are invertebrates with three pairs of legs, usually two pairs of wings, one pair of antenna, jointed appendages, and three distinct body regions --- head, thorax, & abdomen. Insects belong to the largest phylum of animals known as arthropods.  Many small arthropods are mistaken for insects such as spiders, ticks, millipedes, & centipedes. Although some insects may sting or bite, insects play an important role in nature as a food source for other animals and as plant pollinators.  

    By doing an insect collection, students can not only learn beneficial and harmful insects common to their area, but they will also learn that insects have become such a successful and diverse group of animals.  They will also learn to use taxonomic keys to identify organisms.  These will be discussed in class later. Students may bring in their near complete projects for help with the Order identification if needed.

I want this to be a fun and educational project for them.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!

                                                                        Happy Hunting,

                                                                        Miss J.

           

The guidelines are below.

1.       Collect 15 different insects (mostly intact is fine)

2.       Mount them on Styrofoam, cardboard, or foam board using stickpins or glue.  Two soda can cardboard flats are great to use.  One is used as the base with Styrofoam and the other is used as a lid.

3.       Insects should be mounted in rows.

4.       All insects should be labeled with:

·         Common name

·         Order (see attached sheet for help; students may need my help for this)

·         Where it was found ( ex….field, Glassboro;  backyard, Mullica Hill)

5.       All insects should be native to New Jersey or surrounding states.

6.       ALL Projects are due Monday, October 3^rd.  Late projects will be accepted, but 10 points will be deducted for each day it is late.  This project will count as a test grade.

Grading Scale (this includes neatness, completion, and accuracy in labeling).

15 Insects – A+

14 – A

13 – A-

12 – B+

11 – B

10 – B-

9 – C+

8 – C

7 – C-

6 – D+

5 – D

4 – D-

3 or less – F

Helpful sites

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/buginfo/start.htm

http://www.insectidentification.org/

http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzinsect.html

http://www.bugbios.com/

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

Public Library – Field guides, insect books

Classroom books can be checked out for one week at a time.

THE INSECT ORDERS
(according to a popular field guide)

1. ORTHOPTERA: grasshoppers, crickets 
2. COLEOPTERA: beetles 
3. LEPIDOPTERA: butterflies, moths 
4. DIPTERA: flies, mosquitoes 
5. HYMENOPTERA: ants, wasps, bees
6. HEMIPTERA: true bugs
7. HOMOPTERA: aphids, cicadas 
8. DERMAPTERA: earwigs 
9. ODONATA: dragonflies 
10. ISOPTERA: termites 
11. THYSANOPTERA: thrips
12. NEUROPTERA: ant lions
13. COLLEMBOLA: springtails
14. PROTURA: proturans
15. DIPLURA: diplurans
16. THYSANURA: bristletails
17. EPHEMERIDA: mayflies
18. PLECOPTERA: stoneflies
19. EMBIOPTERA: webspinners
20. PSOCOPTERA: booklice
21. ZORAPTERA: zorapterans
22. MALLOPHAGA: chewing lice
23. ANOPLURA: sucking lice
24. STREPSIPTERA: twisted-winged parasites
25. MECOPTERA: scorpionflies
26. TRICOPTERA: caddisflies
27. SIPHONAPTERA: fleas