The students received this information in a packet in class, but here's another copy of the information as a resource for you.
5th
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 3rd. 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://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)
- ORTHOPTERA: grasshoppers, crickets
- COLEOPTERA: beetles
- LEPIDOPTERA: butterflies,
moths
- DIPTERA: flies, mosquitoes
- HYMENOPTERA: ants, wasps, bees
- HEMIPTERA: true bugs
- HOMOPTERA: aphids, cicadas
- DERMAPTERA: earwigs
- ODONATA: dragonflies
- ISOPTERA: termites
- THYSANOPTERA:
thrips
- NEUROPTERA:
ant lions
- COLLEMBOLA:
springtails
- PROTURA:
proturans
- DIPLURA:
diplurans
- THYSANURA:
bristletails
- EPHEMERIDA:
mayflies
- PLECOPTERA:
stoneflies
- EMBIOPTERA:
webspinners
- PSOCOPTERA:
booklice
- ZORAPTERA:
zorapterans
- MALLOPHAGA:
chewing lice
- ANOPLURA:
sucking lice
- STREPSIPTERA:
twisted-winged parasites
- MECOPTERA:
scorpionflies
- TRICOPTERA:
caddisflies
- SIPHONAPTERA: fleas
