Creepy Crawlies - Early Themes

E A R LY T H E M E S
Creepy Crawlies
Butterflies, Bees, Ladybugs,
and More!
by Jacqueline Clarke
NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

MEXICO CITY • NEW DELHI • HONG KONG • BUENOS AIRES
Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources

For Tracy, who has been a good friend (and afraid of bugs)
for as long as I can remember!
_Cleared for D.U._
“About Bugs” from HAVE YOU SEEN BUGS? by Joanne Oppenheim. Copyright © 1996 by Joanne Oppenheim.
Reprinted by permission of North Winds Press, a division of Scholastic Canada.
The student pages in this book may be reproduced for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole
or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record-
ing, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557
Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Edited by Joan Novelli

Cover design by Jaime Lucero
Cover art by Jo Lynn Alcorn
Interior design by Solutions by Design, Inc.
Interior illustration by James Graham Hale
Poster design by Kathy Massaro
Poster art by Jane Conteh-Morgan
ISBN 0-439-16235-1
Copyright © 2001 by Jacqueline Clarke

Published by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

Contents
About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Reproducible Activity Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Launching the Theme: Friend or Foe? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Eek! It’s a Bug! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
To Be a Bug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Little Bugs, Big Helpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Reproducible Activity Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13

Meet an Insect! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Insect Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Insects on the Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Butterfly Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Going on a Bug Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Habitat Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Build a Hive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Create a Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Eat or Be Eaten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
What’s for Lunch? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mouthpart Match-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Bugs for Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Creepy Crawly Camouflage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Watch Me Grow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Presto-Change-O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
A Ladybug Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Bug Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Follow Your Nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Music Makers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Color-Coded Bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Reproducible Activity Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Wrap-Up Celebration: Meet Miss Spider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Reproducible Activity Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
“Creepy Crawly Camouflage” Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

About This Book
Here’s a closer look at what you’ll find:
activities for launching the theme
dozens of cross-curricular hands-on
activities for investigating insects and
other creepy crawlies
ABOUT THIS BOOK

What is it about bugs that attracts children?
Maybe it’s their small size. Perhaps small
children feel big when they are around them. activity extensions for learning more
Or maybe it’s because they’re so accessible.
learning center suggestions (see
There are more bugs than any other creature,
page 5)
which makes them easy to find (and catch)!
Or maybe it’s the fear factor. If they frighten science notes and
grownups, they must be cool, right? Whatever background
the attraction, children seem motivated to information to further
learn more about them, which is why bugs are a teacher’s
a great vehicle for thematic teaching. understanding of
In this unit, children begin by examining concepts related to the theme
themselves in relationship to insects and
literature connections for each lesson
other creepy crawlies, and learn specifically
what characterizes these tiny creatures. reproducible activity pages, including a
They’ll move on to discover what creepy graph, mini-book, poems, and game cards
crawlies eat (and who eats them), where they
a full-color poster that invites children to
live, how they grow, and ways they
search for camouflaged creepy crawlies
communicate. Finally, they’ll attend a tea
party hosted by Miss Spider, where they’ll a culminating project and
revisit concepts from the unit and celebrate celebration
what they’ve learned.
a professional resource
list that includes
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E ? children’s books, teacher
This book is organized in six sections, each reference materials, and
centered around a unifying concept. After web sites
introducing the theme, you can follow up with
the topic of your choice in any order,
wrapping up with the thematic celebration.
Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 4

WHY TEACH WITH
THEMES?
A theme can be defined as a central idea that
unifies and organizes information. Teaching
through themes offers teachers an
opportunity to integrate subject areas,
changing the way they structure their day and
each individual lesson. As a result, students
begin to make connections between the
disciplines and encounter curriculum in more
meaningful and relevant ways. Thematic
teaching also gives students hooks on which
to hang their knowledge and encourages them
to look for connections whenever they
SETTING UP A
encounter new material.
LEARNING CENTER
BEFORE YOU BEGIN Suggestions for learning center activities
appear throughout the book. You can use
Availability and cost of materials were these activities at a temporary center
considered when selecting the activities for established for the purposes of this unit or
this book. A quick look through the material incorporate them into ongoing curriculum
lists for each lesson will alert you to any centers changed on a daily or weekly basis.
items you do not currently have on hand. All Try the ideas that follow to set up a creepy
literature recommendations include books crawly lab learning center that students can
that were in print at the time of publication. use for the duration of the unit:
Before beginning the unit, make a list of the
books you’ll need and locate them through Find a spot in your room with wall
your library or its interlibrary loan service. space and room for a table. Stock the
Most libraries will let you check books out for center with basic supplies such as pencils,
an extended period if you mention that they crayons, and paper. Include some props for
are for classroom use. your junior entomologists, such as lab coats,
magnifying glasses, reference books, and a
ASSESSMENT collection of rubber bugs. Students might
like to share materials from home, too.
Use a KWL chart to assess your students’
knowledge of the theme. Use this information Leave the wall space blank. As you try
(What I Know) (What I Want to Know) to help the activities in each section, add
you make decisions about which activities to related literature, posters, diagrams, poetry,
include as you plan for the unit. At the end of and students’ work to the center. Involve
the unit, complete the last part of the chart students in the process so they can take
with students individually using the Ask Me ownership of the center.
About Insects record sheet. (See page 7.) Ask
a parent volunteer to help you record each Create a system that allows students to
student’s response when asked to name one visit the center and try the activities
thing they have learned in relationship to suggested in the learning center links. Make
each topic covered. You may also use this the center available to students for use
opportunity to ask students what they liked during their free time.
best (and least) about their study of insects.

RESOURCES
Children’s Books Teacher Resources
The Big Bug Book by Margery Facklam The Bug Book by Robin Bernard
(Little, Brown, 1994). This book examines (Scholastic, 1996). Look here for hands-on
big bugs and includes illustrations drawn activities, background information, and
to actual size. literature links for teaching about bugs.
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker and Joan Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About Bugs
Richards Wright (Greenwillow, 1987). This by Kathy Ross (Millbrook Press, 1997).
book introduces children to several Twenty arts and crafts projects illustrate
insects, using a question-and-answer scientific concepts about a variety of
pattern. It also includes anatomical insects.
sketches of each insect.
Do Bees Sneeze?And Other Questions
Creepy Crawlies A to Z by Louisa Kids Ask About Insects by James
Ainsworth (Scholastic, 1996). Eye-popping Wangberg (Fulcrum Publishing, 1997).
photographs illustrate this alphabet book Find answers to more than 200 questions
of bugs, part of the Super-Science Readers kids ask about bugs.
series.
Janice VanCleave’s Play and Find Out
Flit, Flutter, Fly! Poems About Bugs and About Bugs by Janice VanCleave (John
Other Crawly Creatures selected by Lee Wiley & Sons, 1999). Twenty-five easy
Bennett Hopkins (Delacourte Press, 1992). experiments for young children teach
Enjoy a feast of bug poetry by various scientific concepts about insects.
authors.
Project Bugs by Gary Dunn (Young
Have You Seen Bugs? by Joanne Entomologist’s Society, 1994). This
Oppenheim (Scholastic, 1996).Written in resource is jam-packed with facts, key
verse, this book tells of the many different points, and activities for teaching kids
kinds of bugs. Illustrations are bold and about bugs.
lifelike.
Web Sites
Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian
The Wonderful World of Insects
(Harcourt Brace, 1998). From marching
(www.insect---world.com): This kid-
army ants to the patient praying mantis,
friendly site includes an abundance of
the insects in this irresistible collection
information about insects.
will captivate your students. The author’s
art is just as appealing and will inspire Insects.org
students’ own artistic interpretations of (http://www.insects.org/)
the creatures they study. The goal of this site is to let viewers see
insects for what they are: miniature marvels!

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Ask Me About Insects
Insects can be helpful. Insects must eat to live.
Insects have certain Insects grow and change.

characteristics.
Insects can be found Insects communicate with

in many places. each other.
What I liked best about our study of insects: _________________________________________________
What I liked least about our study of insects: ____________________________________________

LAUNCHING THE THEME:
Friend or Foe?
L
et’s face it, some of us are bug lovers and some of us
are not. Our reactions to bugs range from “eek!” to
“awesome!” This section launches the unit by asking
children to examine their feelings about bugs and to
imagine what it would be like to be one of Earth’s tiniest
creatures. It teaches children how bugs can be beneficial and
identifies ways they contribute to our environment.
Science Notes
All insects are invertebrates—animals
without backbones. But not all insects
are bugs. People often use the word
bug to refer to insects, but true bugs
are actually a special group of insects that can
be identif ied by their mouthparts, wings, and
shape. Aphids, stinkbugs, and cicadas are
examples of true bugs. In this book, the words
bug and creepy crawly are used to mean any
creeping, crawling, or flying invertebrate,
including insects. Keep in mind that not all creepy
crawlies are bugs or insects. Spiders, for
example, are arachnids. (For more on spiders,
see page 45.)

LANGUAGE ARTS H E A LT H once again. Have children fill in the blanks to
tell how they feel about bugs. Place all the
feeling words in the pocket chart so children
Eek! It’s a Bug! can use them as a resource for spelling.
After children have completed the

Children identify “feeling words” sentences, ask them to draw their face
and determine how bugs make in the space indicated to match the words
them feel with Name _________________
________________________
________________________
that tell how they feel.
this pocket
________________________
_____________ Date ______________
_____________________
__
How I Feel Gather children in a circle and ask for

chart activity. Complete the
Bugs make me
When I see a
sentences to show
feel __________________
bug, I say ______
how you feel abou
________________
.
t bugs.
volunteers to share work. If there are
__________________
__________.
Complete the
you see a bug.
picture to show
an expression
you might mak
e when
children in the group who chose words such
M ATERIALS as scared or afraid, invite volunteers to name
index cards things they do when they feel this way. Point
sentence strips out that learning more about what scares you
can sometimes make you feel less afraid.
pocket chart
nal Books
markers Now that you know how your

Scholastic Professio
ACTIVITY students feel about bugs, turn

How I Feel Extension
Creepy Crawlies
activity page the tables a bit and ask students

Early Themes:
11 22
(see page 12) how they think bugs feel about them. Have
crayons them imagine a bugs’ classroom where the
subject of study is people! What would the bugs
TEACHING THE L ESSON learn?
Ask children to name words for Let the class further explore their
Literature palette of feelings by reading
feelings—for example, scary, Connection
embarrassed, proud. Record them on index aloud these colorful books:
cards or cut-up sentence strips. I Feel Orange Today by Patricia Godwin
(Annick Press, 1993)
Write the following question on a
sentence strip and place it in the pocket My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss (Knopf,
chart: What makes you feel ________? One at 1996)
a time, place a feeling word in the blank
space to complete the question. Read the
sentence aloud to children and invite
volunteers to answer the question.
Use the words students
Write the following on a sentence strip brainstormed to create a
and place it in the pocket chart: Bugs dictionary of feelings. Write each word on a
make me feel _______. When I see a bug, I separate sheet of paper. Let children
say ________. Read the sentences aloud to illustrate the pages, then arrange them in
students and ask them to think about how alphabetical order and use O-rings to bind.
they would complete the sentences. (This will make it easier to add new pages
than if you staple them.) Place the book in
Give each child a copy of How I Feel. the classroom library for children to read
Ask children to point to the words on during their free reading time.
the paper as you read the sentences aloud

SCIENCE Return to the classroom and cut
ACTIVITY students’ strings into 1-foot
Extension
lengths. Glue each string to a
To Be a Bug sheet of paper and give one to each child.

Have children illustrate and label on both sides
Children get down on their hands of the string what they saw as they followed
their “trail” outside. Encourage children to use
and knees to imagine what it
lots of detail. You might let them revisit the
would be like to be a bug. activity, repeating step 2, to notice even more
details than they did the first time. Let children
M ATERIALS share and compare their drawings. What sorts
If I Were an Ant by Amy Moses of things were seen by many or most children?
(Children’s Press, 1992) What sorts of things were more unusual?
3-foot pieces of string (one per student)
Now that children have an idea
Literature
TEACHING THE L ESSON Connection of what it is like to be a bug,
why not let them jump into the
If possible, read aloud the book If I skin of some other animals with Joanne Ryder’s
Were an Ant. Ask children to share Just for a Day series? Rich illustrations and
ways they think living like a bug is different informative text invite readers to play, eat, and
from living like a person. live like a lizard, a whale, and other creatures.
Titles include:
Take the class outdoors to an open
Lizard in the Sun (Mulberry, 1994)
area. Give each child a piece of string to
lay on the ground. Ask students to pretend Jaguar in the Rain Forest (William Morrow, 1996)
to be a bug by getting down on their hands Sea Elf (William Morrow, 1993)
and knees and following their string “trail.”
Shark in the Sea (William Morrow, 1997)
Encourage them to take notice of what they
see on their micro-journey (obstacles, food, Winter Whale (Mulberry Books, 1994)
shelter, other creatures, and so on). Children will also enjoy Where Butterflies Grow
(Lodestar, 1989) and The Snail’s Spell (Viking
Follow up with a second discussion
Penguin, 1982).
about how living like a bug is different
from living like a person. What new
information can students add?
Place bug books, picture

cards, and/or plastic bugs
at the center. After exploring the materials,
ask children to draw and label a picture of a
bug in answer to the following question: If
you could trade places with one bug, which
would it be? Once all children have visited
the center, ask them to share their pictures
and tell why they chose the bug they did.

SCIENCE
Little Bugs, Share Ed Emberley’s Great

Thumbprint Drawing Book
(Little, Brown, 1994) with the class. This
Big Helpers book shows children how to make several
different animals using their fingerprints.
Children make a mini-book to Place inkpads and markers at the center.
Using the technique found in Emberley’s
explore ways bugs benefit our
book, invite children to illustrate their books
environment. as follows:
M ATERIALS Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Page 2: thumbprint fly
Flies are food for frogs.
Little Bugs, Page 3: thumbprint butterfly
Little Bugs, Big Helpers
Big Helpers Illustrated by Page 4: thumbprint bee
_________________________________
reproducible 1
1 2
2
Page 5: thumbprint fruit fly
mini-book Butterflies help plants
make seeds.
Bees give us honey and
beeswax.
Page 6: thumbprint ladybug

(see page 13)
stapler Provide resources for learning
scissors
3
3 4
4
ACTIVITY more about the ways bugs are
Extension
Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies Scholastic Professional Books
Fruit flies help scientists find Ladybugs eat insects that

cures for diseases. are harmful to plants.
helpful. For example, snails,

slugs, and other bugs feed on leaves and twigs
5 6
5 6
on the ground, helping to recycle nature’s
1 33
1
waste. Let children work together to write and
illustrate pages for new books that show what
TEACHING THE L ESSON they’ve learned.
Give each child a copy of the To find out other reasons why
reproducible mini-book. Guide children Literature bugs are beneficial, read It’s a
in cutting out the pages and assembling the
Connection
Good Thing There Are Insects by
book. Staple the left side of the book to bind Allan Fowler (Children’s Press, 1990).
the pages together.
Tell children that the book they have

just put together will teach them how
bugs can be helpful. Read the book aloud as
children follow along on their own copies.
Then invite children to illustrate each page
according to the text. Children might like to
try the technique described in the Learning
Center Link (see right).
Encourage children to take their mini-

books home and share them with their
families.

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
How I Feel
Complete the sentences to show how you feel about bugs.
Bugs make me feel __________________________________.
When I see a bug, I say __________________________________.

Complete the picture to show an expression you might make when
you see a bug.

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Flies are food for frogs.

Little Bugs,
Big Helpers
Illustrated by
_________________________________
1 2
Butterflies help plants Bees give us honey and

make seeds. beeswax.
3 4
Fruit flies help scientists find Ladybugs eat insects that

cures for diseases. are harmful to plants.
5 6

Meet an Insect!
W
ould your students know an insect if they saw
one? They’d probably say “yes!” However, not all
bugs are insects. Insects can be identified
through the absence or presence of certain body
parts. In this section, children will learn to identify insects as
such and will examine the body parts they use to move and
sense the world around them.
Science Notes
Insects are animals with six
legs, three body sections
(head, thorax, and abdomen), and an
exoskeleton, or outer shell, that
protects them. Insects are the largest
animal group—there are approximately
one million identif ied kinds of insects.
Scientists estimate there are an
additional 40 million insects that have
not yet been identified.

SCIENCE LANGUAGE ARTS
Teach children the following song to
help them remember an insect’s body
Insect parts (sing to the tune of “Head and

Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”).
Head and thorax, abdomen, abdomen,
Identification Head and thorax, abdomen, abdomen,
Eyes, antennae, three pairs of legs,
Children learn to identify an insect Head and thorax, abdomen, abdomen.
through the process of deduction.
Ask students to compare their
ACTIVITY
M ATERIALS Extension body to an insect’s. Use a Venn
diagram to record ways that
four rubber insects (of different kinds)
they are the same and different.
chart paper
“About Bugs” reproducible poem (see Fleas are one of the few insects
Literature that do not have wings. Most
page 18) Connection
insects have one or two pairs.
Take a close-up look at a butterfly’s wings by
sharing The Butterfly Alphabet by Kjell B.
Sandved (Scholastic, 1996). Children will enjoy
examining the photographs as they search for
each letter of the alphabet on the wings of a
different butterfly. Create your own version of
TEACHING THE L ESSON the book by giving each child an outline of a
butterfly wing and assigning different letters of
Pass around a rubber insect and ask the alphabet. Challenge them to hide their
each student to say one thing to letter among colorful patterns they create with
describe it. Record students’ descriptions on paint, crayons, or markers.
chart paper.
Repeat the process using three more

insects. Continue to record descriptions,
creating a new column for each insect. Butterflies, like many
Examine the chart together. Circle the insects, have compound
ways in which all four insects are alike. eyes. This means that within one larger eye,
Ask: What makes an insect an insect? they have many different lenses. Simulate
the multifaceted vision of an insect by
Give each student a copy of “About creating an insect viewer. For each viewer,
Bugs.” Read the poem aloud to help wrap a rubber band around 15 straws. Place
answer the question. the viewer(s) at the center along with some
pictures of your students. Let children see
Point out the diagram of an insect at the what they look like through a bug’s eyes.
bottom of the poem page. Help students
identify and circle the body parts that
characterize an insect: three body parts
(head, abdomen, thorax), six legs, one pair
of antennae, eyes, and sometimes wings.

SCIENCE LANGUAGE ARTS M AT H cards and sort them into the four categories.
Be aware that many insects fit into more
than one category.
Insects on the Place the first set of sentence strips into

the pocket chart and let students fill in
Move the blanks with the insect cards. Read each

set of sentence strips, inviting children to
join in. Add movement to the reading by
Use this pocket chart activity to letting students mimic insects hopping. On
help children explore the different the last line, have students shake their heads
ways insects move. from left to right while reciting the words
“NO THEY DON’T!”
M ATERIALS
Repeat step 4 using the other sets of
Who Hops? by Katie Davis (Harcourt
sentence strips (and having students
Brace, 1998)
add movement by flying, swimming, and
pocket chart crawling).
marker
sentence strips Wrap up this lively activity by creating a
class book based on the same pattern.
T EACHING THE L ESSON How Do They Move?
Hop: katydid,
Read aloud Who Hops? to your
cricket,
students. This book uses a simple
grasshopper
question-and-answer pattern to name
animals that hop, fly, slither, swim, and Fly: dragonfly,
crawl. It includes one non-example for each bee, butterfly
movement, followed by the words, “NO Swim: damselfly, water
THEY DON’T!” boatman, water strider,
backswimmer, water
Create sentence strips for the pocket scorpion, whirligig
chart based on the book and adapt it for beetle
use with insects. The first set of strips
Crawl: cockroach, ladybug, caterpillar
should read as follows:
Who hops? Students will enjoy jumping the
ACTIVITY same distance as a cricket.
______ hop. Extension
______ hop. Tape a 6-foot line of masking
tape to the floor. Mark it off in 2-foot segments.
______ hop.
Let students take turns jumping from one line to
______ hop. NO THEY DON’T!
the next. Students will be surprised to see that a
Create similar sets of strips for “Who flies?,” little insect can jump so far!
“Who swims?,” and “Who crawls?”
In The Great Monarch Butterfly
Brainstorm with students lists of Literature Chase by R.W.N. Prior (Bradbury
insects that hop, fly, swim, and crawl.
Connection
Press, 1993), your students can
Draw from the sample list provided (see follow a Monarch butterfly as it moves south.
How Do They Move?, right) if necessary. Follow up by letting students trace the
Record the insect names on sentence strip butterfly’s route on a map.

TEACHING THE L ESSON
Review the senses by playing “Simon
All insects have six legs, Says.” Say Simon Says, followed by a
but their legs vary in size sense (for example, hearing). Have students
and shape. This is because their legs are touch the corresponding body part. Have
compatible with the way they move. children fill out the first column of Let’s
Encourage students to examine the physical Compare Senses by drawing a picture of the
appearance of various insects as they count body part they use with each sense.
the legs of rubber bugs. Cut six milk cartons
down to create 4- to 5-inch containers. Label Tell students that insects also use their
them: 6 legs, 12 legs, 18 legs, 24 legs, 30 legs, senses to find out about their world, yet
and 36 legs. Place the milk cartons in most do not have ears, noses, or hands.
random order at the center with a few dozen They use other body parts! Show students a
rubber insects. Have students tell how many picture or model of a butterfly. Name each
insects they need to place in each container sense and its corresponding body part:
to match the number of legs. Have them Sight: eyes Taste: feet
check their answers by counting the legs. Hearing: antennae Smell: antennae
Record the correct number of insects on the Touch: antennae
bottom of each carton for self-checking.
Have children complete the chart by
drawing pictures of the body parts a
SCIENCE butterfly uses with each sense.
Learn about another insect that

Butterf ly Sense ACTIVITY
Extension tastes with its feet—the fly!
Investigate flies and other
Students compare their senses insects and their senses. Set up a display area
for students to share their findings.
with those of a butterfly.
M ATERIALS
Let’s Compare Senses reproducible page
(see page 19) Let students create their
picture or model of a butterfly own set of antennae: Roll a
sheet of aluminum foil into a headband.
Wrap one end of a pipe cleaner around the
headband. Do the same with another pipe
Science Notes cleaner. Attach a bead to the top of both pipe
The human body parts cleaners. Play “Simon Says” again. Have
associated with each students wear their antennae and pretend to
sense are the same for everyone. be butterflies!
This isn’t true of insects. Not all
Find out how other animals
insects have five senses, and the Literature sense their world by reading
body parts they use to sense their Connection
Animal Senses: How Animals
world vary from species to species, See, Hear, Taste, Smell and Feel by Pamela
depending on their environment. Hickman (Kids Can Press, 1998).

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
About Bugs
“About Bugs” from HAVE YOU SEEN BUGS? by Joanne Oppenheim. Copyright © 1996 by Joanne Oppenheim. Reprinted by permission of North Winds Press, a division of Scholastic Canada.
Some bugs are insects,
others are not.
Compare their bodies
to find what you’ve got;
An insect has three parts—
a head at one end,
an abdomen in the rear,
a thorax in the middle
where wings and legs appear.
An insect has six legs,
no fewer and no more;
some have two wings
but many have four.
Some primitive insects have
no wings at all,
like lice or fleas, they hop or crawl.
—by Joanne Oppenheim

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Let’s Compare Senses
Me A Butterfly
Sight
Hearing
Touch
Taste
Smell

Going on a
Bug Hunt
W
here can you find insects? The answer is, “Almost
anywhere!” Unlike most creatures, insects can be
found in a variety of climates and conditions. The
majority prefer places where there are lots of
hiding spots, different kinds of plants, and a supply of water
or moisture. This is why the tropical rain forests have the
greatest number of different kinds of insects. In this section,
your students will go outdoors to determine where insects
can be found on your school grounds. Next, they’ll examine
the structure of one insect home, a beehive, and work
together to create their own. Finally, they’ll learn what an
insect needs to survive as they make a home for a cricket
from a peanut butter jar.
Science Notes
Most insects do not
have permanent
homes. However,
social insects such as ants, bees,
wasps, and termites live in colonies
and do have a permanent residence.

SOCIAL STUDIES SC I E N C E
Ask students to look at their maps and
identify places where they might find
Habitat Maps insects and other creepy crawlies. Together,

visit each of these places. As students spot
insects, have them record their sightings on
Children create a map of their their maps by drawing an insect symbol at
school grounds to record places each location.
where insects live. Before children take their maps
ACTIVITY home, use them as storyboards
M ATERIALS Extension
for solving math problems.
chart paper Create ladybug manipulatives by spray-
marker painting a bag of dried Great Northern beans
12- by 18-inch red. Use a fine-point marker to give the
sheets of paper ladybugs spots. Pose story problems, such as,
(one per child) “There were four ladybugs in the garden and
two on the playground. How many ladybugs
crayons
were there all together?” Let students
Where Do Insects Live? by Susan
manipulate the ladybugs on the map to solve
Canizares (Scholastic, 1998)
each problem.
TEACHING THE L ESSON Let children ponder the

Literature question, Where do butterflies
Work with students to brainstorm areas Connection
live? Then read The Lamb and
of their school grounds—for example,
the Butterfly by Arnold Sundgaard (Orchard
the playground, a garden, parking lot, the
Books, 1988). Students will soon realize that a
driveway, woods, and so on. List them on
butterfly is free to fly here and there.
chart paper and create a symbol for each.
Label a separate sheet of chart paper

with the direction words North, South,
East, and West. Draw your school building
on the map and show children which Let each student create a
direction the classroom faces. Help students page for a lift-the-flap book
take turns drawing the other landmark based on the information they have learned
symbols on the map in their correct about where insects can be found. For each
locations. student, provide an 8 - by 11-inch sheet of
paper with the words I Spy an Insect written
When the map is complete, either draw at the top and a 2- by 2-inch! s square labeled
a smaller version and copy one for each with one of the following: in the grass, on a
student or let students make their own tree, on a leaf, on a rock, in the sand, on the
copies using the larger one as a reference. water, on a log, in a hole, in a nest, and in the
air. At the center, have students draw an
If possible, read Where Do Insects outdoor scene to reflect the setting. Let them
Live? This book suggests looking for glue the top of the square (approximately
insects in the following places: in the grass, inch) to the paper to create a flap. Have
on a tree, on a leaf, on a rock, in the sand, them draw an insect that lives in this place
on the water, on a log, in a hole, in a nest, underneath.
and in the air.

S C I E N C E M AT H the queen to lay her eggs. Let students create
one of each type of cell using the following:
gold cellophane (honey), rice (pollen), and
Build a Hive elbow macaroni (larvae).
Help students build a bulletin-board

After examining the hexagonal cells hive with their cells, grouping the same
that make up a honeycomb, children type of cells together. Label each set of cells
build a bulletin-board hive. accordingly, and give the display a title—for
example, “At Home in the Honeycomb.”
M ATERIALS
Familiarize students with the
hexagon patterns (see page 24) ACTIVITY three types of bees that make
yellow construction paper
Extension
up a colony, and examine their
waxed paper individual jobs: queen: lays the eggs; workers:
glue female bees that do not lay eggs but do most
of the jobs within the hive; drones: male bees
gold or yellow cellophane
whose only job is to mate with the queen.
rice
Distribute a variety of art materials and let
elbow macaroni students create
stapler their own bees to
add to the bulletin-
TEACHING THE L ESSON board hive. Put all
the worker bees in
Copy the hexagon patterns onto yellow a bag and
construction paper. Cut out three randomly choose
hexagons for each student. the queen.
Explain that some insects, such as

wasps, termites, ants, and bees, build Enjoy a snack of graham
Literature crackers and honey while you
their own homes. Ask students to name a Connection
bee’s home (hive) and tell you what they read The Bee Tree by Patricia
know about it. Polacco (Philomel Books, 1993). In this
cumulative tale, Mary Ellen, Grandpa, and a
Give each student three hexagons. growing crowd of others follow bees to the tree
Name the shape, then demonstrate how where they keep their honey. Follow up with
to count the number of sides. Explain that a The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons (William
beehive is made up of thousands of six-sided Morrow, 1997) to explore how honey is made.
shapes called cells and together these cells
form a honeycomb.
Tell students that inside each of these

cells is wax. Distribute small pieces of Make a class set of the
waxed paper and let students glue them to honeycomb puzzle on page
each cell. 25. Challenge students to use pattern blocks
to complete the puzzle. Encourage them to
Explain that the cells of a honeycomb
use combinations of triangles, rhombuses,
are like rooms in a house, each with its
and trapezoids, in addition to hexagons, to
own purpose. Some are used to store honey,
fill each cell.
others pollen, and still others are used for

LANGUAGE ARTS SCIENCE hunt? Why did the children need a jar?
What happens in the poem when we get to
the word Ouch? Why did the bug bite the
Create a Home boy (girl)? Is a jar a good home for a bug?

Why or why not?
Read a poem and discuss jars as Tell students they are going to help
homes for insects. Create a create a temporary home for a cricket,
temporary bug jar home for a using an empty peanut butter jar. Ask: What
cricket. do you think we should put in the jar for
the cricket to survive?
Have students help prepare a home for

Science Notes the cricket: Soak the jar in hot, soapy
water to clean it thoroughly. Place a wet
Collecting and observing sponge in the bottom of the jar to provide
insects can help children moisture. Add a crumpled paper towel or
learn more about an paper tube roll to serve as a hiding/resting
insect’s behavior and habits. spot for the cricket. Add a couple of twigs to
However, an insect should only be the jar. The cricket will use these for
kept under proper conditions (as to climbing. After placing the cricket in its
food, air, and moisture) and for a temporary home, cover the jar with a piece
short period of time. It should then of pantyhose and secure with a rubber band.
be released into its natural habitat.
Find a spot for the cricket house that is
out of direct sunlight and at room
temperature. Make sure it is accessible for
M ATERIALS students to observe. Feed the cricket slices
The Great Bug Hunt by Bonnie Dobkin of raw apple and pieces of dry cereal. Wet
(Children’s Press, 1993) the sponge when it becomes dry. Let
plastic peanut butter jar children take turns over a period of days
observing the cricket up close and recording
wet sponge
what they see. When you are done observing
crumpled paper towel or paper tube roll the cricket, set it free.
twigs
Let students compare what a
cricket (order live crickets from Carolina ACTIVITY cricket needs to survive with
Biological Supply Co.; www.carolina.com; Extension
what they need. Ask: Are your
800-334-5551)
needs the same or different? Could you live in
piece of pantyhose
a jar? Why or why not?
rubber band
raw apple Share Leave That Cricket Be,
Literature Alan Lee by Barbara Ann Porte
dry cereal Connection
(Greenwillow Books, 1993), the
TEACHING THE L ESSON story of a boy who builds a home in a pickle jar
for a cricket. Once in the jar, however, the
Share The Great Bug Hunt with cricket stops eating and singing, and finally the
students, then guide a discussion using boy sets him free.
the following questions: What is a bug

Hexagon Patterns

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Honeycomb Puzzle

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Cricket Watch
Observe the cricket. Draw a picture of what you see. Write about it on the
lines below.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eat or Be Eaten
I
n this section, students will bait insects to explore what
they eat, examine tools that work like insect’s mouthparts
to learn how they eat, and create food chains to discover
who eats them. They will also search for camouflaged
insects on a poster and in the outdoors to find out how insects
protect themselves from being eaten.
Science Notes
An insect’s size gives it an
advantage in finding food.
Because insects are so small,
the tiny bits of food they eat usually go
unnoticed by other, larger animals. An
insect’s size also helps protect it from
becoming food for other animals. Tiny
insects can escape into cracks and other
shelters to stay safe from predators.
Camouf lage is another way insects stay
safe from predators. Color is the most
common form of camouf lage. For example,
a moth may camouf lage itself against the
bark of a tree. Shape is another form of
camouf lage—for example, a walking stick
easily blends in with a twig or branch.

S C I E N C E M AT H
Bury all cans in the soil at the same
location, keeping the opening of each
What’s for can at ground level.
Check the cans periodically throughout
Lunch? the day. When children spot an insect,

have them record its name on the vertical
axis of the graph. (Keep a field guide on
Students bait insects to find out hand to help with identification.) Have them
which foods they like to eat. show which food(s) it ate by coloring in the
squares labeled on the horizontal axis.
M ATERIALS At the end of the day, discuss the
six empty tin cans (tuna-fish size) results: How many different kinds of
raw meat insects were attracted to each bait? Which
pieces of fruit bait attracted the most insects? the fewest?
peanut butter
Review the information
jelly ACTIVITY collected on the graph. Were
Extension
honey certain types of insects
molasses attracted to particular types of foods—for
What’s for Lunch? graph (see page 32) example, flies to meat and ants to sweet foods?
Challenge students to match four insects with
crayons
the types of food they eat, using the activity
Caution: Use plastic gloves to handle the sheet What Do I Eat? (See page 33; answers:
raw meat. Avoid letting children handle it butterfly/flower; grasshopper/leaf;
themselves. If they do, be sure they wash mosquito/blood; fly/rotten food.)
their hands thoroughly afterward. Remind
children not to touch animals in the cans. Follow a fly as he eats his way
(See steps 1 and 4.)
Literature through somebody’s house and
Connection
makes a huge mess, in Old
Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _____________________________________
Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth (Henry Holt, 1992).
What’s for Lunch?
TYPE OF FOOD
Meat Fruit Peanut Butter Jelly Honey Molasses
Let students design menus

3 22
3
TYPE OF INSECT
for a bug cafe. Each

student will need an 11- by 14-inch sheet of
paper (folded in half). On the outside of the
menu, have them write “Welcome to the Bug
Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies Scholastic Professional Books
Cafe” (or their own name for a bug cafe).

On the inside, they can draw and label
TEACHING THE L ESSON pictures of foods that insects eat and add
prices for each dish. Cover a table with a
Place a few spoonfuls of each of the
tablecloth, add some small notepads for
following foods in the cans, one food
taking orders, then let children take turns
per can: raw meat, pieces of fruit, peanut
using the menus to give and take orders.
butter, jelly, honey, molasses.

SCIENCE
Give each child a copy of page 34. Have
children cut out the mouthparts on the
Mouthpart dashed lines (see bottom of page), then glue

them on the chart under “Mouthpart” next to
the corresponding insects. Invite children to
Match-Up complete column 3 by using words or

pictures to show ways people use a tool that
is like each mouthpart.
Most insects don’t have teeth (or
silverware) to help them eat. In ACTIVITY
Give each student a straw and
this activity, students investigate Extension some juice and let them
experience sipping nectar like a
how insects’ mouthparts work and
butterfly. Talk about places butterflies find
make a lift-the-f lap book to nectar—for example, milkweed and cosmos
match insects to their mouths. are two favorite butterfly foods.
M ATERIALS Join a young girl and her

Literature grandfather as they save a tiny
sponges, straws, scissors, eyedroppers Connection
lettuce, applesauce, tomato juice, caterpillar from a hungry bird,
orange juice then build a butterfly house to keep it safe, in
Butterfly House by Eve Bunting (Scholastic, 1999).
Mouthpart Match-Up reproducible (see
page 34)

Explain that insects have mouthparts Students can use the insect
that are adapted to the types of food and mouthpart cards (see
they eat. Hold up the sponge and tell page 34) to play Concentration. Copy and
students that some insects have mouths that cut out three sets of both types of cards.
“mop up” food like a sponge. Continue with
the straw (sip), scissors (chew), and SCIENCE
eyedropper (pierce and suck).
Divide the class into groups. Give each

group a set of tools (sponge, straws,
scissors, and eyedropper), and insect “food”:
Bugs for Lunch
lettuce (to represent plants), applesauce (to In this lesson, students examine
represent mushy fly food), tomato (to the concept of interdependence
represent blood), and orange juice (to as they create food chains.
represent nectar).
Let students use their tools to simulate

M ATERIALS
“eating” like insects, using the sponge Bugs for Lunch by Margery Facklam
to mop up food like a fly, the straw to sip (Charlesbridge, 1999)
food like a butterfly, the scissors to chomp Bugs for Lunch reproducible page
food like a grasshopper, and the eyedropper (see page 35)
to suck up food like a mosquito. (Have glue
children only pretend to eat the foods.)

Ants on a Log for snack one day, and
TEACHING THE L ESSON imagine what it would be like if the ants
Ask students: If your lunch was a bug, were real! Provide peanut butter, celery
what kind of animal could you be? sticks, raisins, and butter knives. Let
Encourage students to name animals such as children spread peanut butter on the celery
birds, bears, spiders, frogs, mice, etc. Then, and top with raisins. (You may also
read Bugs for Lunch for a visual feast of substitute cream cheese for peanut butter.)
those who dine on insects. To learn more about dining on bugs, go to
www.eatbug.com.
Help students see the relationship Caution: Check for food allergies before
between insects and the survival of other letting students make and eat Ants on a Log.
species by creating paper food chains. Give
each child a copy of Bugs for Lunch. Have
children cut out and color each paper strip. S C I E N C E M AT H
Guide students in gluing the strips

together in the correct order (fly, frog,
snake, hawk) to form a chain. Creepy Crawly
Hold up a completed food chain and
tear off one of the links. Ask: What will
happen to the other animals now?
Camouf lage
Challenge students to search for
ACTIVITY
Use a string of holiday lights to camouf laged insects on a poster
further demonstrate what and in the outdoors.
Extension
happens when one food source
within a food chain is depleted. Plug in a string
of bulbs (the kind wired in a series) and ask
students what will happen if one bulb stops
working. Unscrew a bulb and explain that each
bulb is dependent upon the others for energy.
Ask students to tell you how the string of bulbs is
similar to a food chain.
For more examples of food

Literature chains and food webs, read
Connection
Who Eats What? by Patricia
Lauber (HarperCollins, 1995).
M ATERIALS
dried lima beans
spray paint (assorted colors)
Your students might be posterboard
surprised to find out that Creepy Crawly Camouflage poster
animals aren’t the only ones who eat (page 49)
insects. In various countries, people have erasable marker
dined on grubs, locusts, cicadas, crickets,
caterpillars, termites, ants, and beetles for Laminate the poster before beginning
thousands of years. Let your students make this activity.

TEACHING THE L ESSON Literature
If your students enjoyed hunting
for insects on the poster, they’ll
Spray paint approximately 50 lima
Connection
love these books about
beans in a variety of colors, including camouflage by Ruth Heller:
green. Scatter them in a grassy area
How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects
outdoors. Create a floor graph on a sheet of
(Platt & Munk, 1992)
posterboard. Label the columns to reflect the
colors of the beans. How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles
(Price Stern Sloan, 1994)
Display the pullout poster. Gather How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other
students around it and challenge them Amphibians (Grosset & Dunlap, 1995)
to find the hidden insects. Use an erasable
How to Hide a Parakeet and Other Birds
marker to highlight all they find. Point out
(Grosset & Dunlap, 1995)
any they missed.
How to Hide a Polar Bear and Other Mammals
Ask students why it was so difficult to (Price Stern Sloan, 1994)
find all the insects. Explain that insects
How to Hide an Octopus and Other Sea
often blend in with their environment to
Creatures (Price Stern Sloan, 1992)
protect themselves from predators. Ask
children to pretend they are ladybugs
looking for some tasty aphids to eat. Take
children outdoors and give them 30 seconds
to search for the aphids (beans). Stock a center with pipe
cleaners in a variety of
Back in the classroom, ask students to
colors. Ask students to create a plant (for
graph the beans they’ve collected, using
example, a leaf, a flower, etc.) and an insect
the floor graph. Gather students around the
using only one color. Let them hide their
graph and ask the following questions:
insect on the plant. Create a display of the
Which color beans did we collect the pipe-cleaner plants and insects and let
most of? least of? children find and identify one another’s
hidden insects.
Why was it easier to find certain colors
than others?
If we were ladybugs and the green beans
(assuming that was the color you’ve
collected the least of) were aphids, would
we have had enough to eat?
If you were an aphid that lived in the
grass or on leaves, which color would you
like to be?
Have students draw a picture of

ACTIVITY an outdoor scene with an insect
Extension
hiding somewhere in the grass,
trees, or flowers. Let students exchange papers
and try to find one another’s insects.

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
What’s for Lunch?
TYPE OF FOOD
Meat Fruit Peanut Butter Jelly Honey Molasses
TYPE OF INSECT

32
Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
What Do I Eat?
Cut out the food pictures on the bottom of the page. Match the insect to
the food that it eats.
butterfly
grasshopper
mosquito
fly

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Mouthpart Match-Up
Ways people use a tool
Insect Mouthpart like the mouthpart
eyedropper
scissors
straw
sponge
butterfly fly mosquito grasshopper

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Bugs for Lunch
egg
frog
snake

hawk
35
Watch Me Grow
I
n this section, students will learn how insects grow and
change as they compare the life cycles of butterflies and
grasshoppers to learn about two types of metamorphosis—
complete and incomplete. They will also examine the life
cycle of the ladybug in relationship to the calendar year.
Science Notes
Most insects completely
change their size, shape,
and color as they grow
into adults. These changes
are part of the process known as
metamorphosis. There are two types of
metamorphosis: complete and incomplete.
Complete metamorphosis has four stages
(egg, larva, pupa, and adult). Incomplete
metamorphosis has three stages (egg,
nymph, and adult). Flies, bees, butterf lies,
beetles, and ants experience all four
stages while grasshoppers, dragonflies,
and earwigs go through only three. There
are also some insects that go through no
metamorphosis. They are hatched from
eggs as miniature versions of their
parents and grow until they have reached
adult size. Examples include cockroaches
and silverf ish.

SCIENCE LANGUAGE ARTS M AT H Let children act out the two
ACTIVITY types of metamorphosis using
Extension
props and movements:
Presto-Change-O Butterfly (Complete Metamorphosis): Students

take turns scrunching down into a ball
After creating lift-the-f lap books (egg), crawling (larva), going inside a
of a butterf ly and grasshopper sleeping bag (pupa), and coming out with
beach-towel wings (adult).
life cycle, children compare the
two and identify them as complete Grasshopper (Incomplete Metamorphosis):
During the nymph stage, a grasshopper
or incomplete metamorphosis.
sheds its skin several times because it has
become too tight. Simulate this by lightly
M ATERIALS wrapping a child in toilet tissue (do not
two sheets of 8 !s - by 11-inch paper per cover the face) and letting him or her break
child out. Repeat this several times until you’ve
scissors decided the nymph is an adult.
Life Cycle Cards
(see page 39) Read The Bee by Sabrina Crewe
Literature (Raintree/Steck-Vaughn, 1997)
glue Connection
or a similar book that illustrates
the life cycle of a bee. Follow up by asking
students if a bee’s life cycle is one of complete
or incomplete metamorphosis.
S C I E N C E M AT H ART
Ask students to fold both sheets of
paper in half lengthwise. Holding the
paper vertically, have them cut the top half
A Ladybug
of one into thirds and the other into fourths
to create flaps. Have them label the flaps 1–3
Year
and 1–4 respectively. Create a life cycle wheel of a
Give each child a copy of the Life Cycle ladybug’s year.
Cards. Ask students to cut out the four
stages of the butterfly life cycle and glue them M ATERIALS
in the correct order under the four flaps. white paper plates (two per child)
red paint and paintbrushes (or red
Repeat step 2 using the Life Cycle Cards
crayons)
for the grasshopper.
black adhesive dots (or black paint)
Ask students to compare the two life black construction paper
cycles. How are they the same and
scissors
different? Explain the two types of
glue
metamorphosis (complete and incomplete)
to children (see Science Notes, page 36) and Ladybug Life Cycle Wheel (see page 40)
identify each one as such. brass fasteners (one per child)

TEACHING THE L ESSON ACTIVITY
Turn the wheel of the ladybug
life cycle once again and let
Give each child a paper plate. Have
Extension
students talk about what they
children cut their paper plates as do during each season. Tell them that one
shown. (Or precut the plates for them.) Have complete turn of the wheel equals one year’s
children paint or color their plates red. time. Ask: How much do you think you grow in
one year compared to a ladybug?
“Are you a ladybug? If you are,

Literature your parents look like this, and
Connection
they eat aphids.” Are You a
Ladybug? by Judy Allen (Larousse, Kingfisher
Chambers, 2000) introduces young readers to
metamorphosis by following a ladybug from
Let students stick black adhesive dots
egg to maturity. Fun facts at the end provide
on their plates (or paint on black dots),
more information. Extend students’ learning
and add a construction-paper head and legs.
about the life of insects with The Life and Times
of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci (Ticknor &
Fields, 1995). Students will enjoy reading about
what keeps bees busy during each month of
the year.
Give each child a copy of page 40. Ask

students to cut out the Ladybug Life Students can create time
Cycle Wheel, then glue it to the second lines of their own life cycle
paper plate, with the plate facing up. from birth to present. Section off 11- by 14-
inch sheets of paper into six or eight boxes.
Let students use the boxes to draw a picture
to represent each year. They can use leftover
boxes to write their name or add additional
events.
Have children place the plates together,

then secure at the center with a brass
fastener. Demonstrate how to turn the wheel
to learn about the life cycle of a ladybug
through the seasons.

Life Cycle Cards
egg egg
larva nymph
pupa adult
adult

Ladybug Life Cycle Wheel
g and Pupa
Moltin
Summer
)
and Grubs (Larva
Spring
Adult
Fall
Egg s
Winter
Hibernate

Bug Talk
I
nsects don’t use words, but they do communicate.
They use special odors (called pheromones), visual
signals (such as color), and sound to “talk” to other
insects. In this section, students will follow a trail
using their sense of smell, try to match their own sound to
that of another, and create a traffic light that displays insect
warning colors.
Science Notes
Ants communicate using
special odors called
pheromones. They
leave trails of these chemicals by
stopping every so often and
pressing their body to the ground.
The chemical comes out of a tube at
the back end of the ant’s body.
Some insects, such as grasshoppers
and crickets, make sounds by
“playing” different parts of their
bodies. The songs are usually
played by males who want to
attract a mate or keep others away
from their territory.

SCIENCE
Follow Your Nose Students can create their

own pheromone trails.
Take six sponges and cut them into fourths.
By using their sense of smell to Separate the sponge pieces into three groups
locate a bag of freshly popped of eight each. Saturate each group of sponges
popcorn, students learn how ants with a different scent—for example, lemon
leave pheromone trails to lead juice, vanilla, and perfume—and mix them
one another to food. up. Let students sniff the sponges and create
three trails by grouping like ones together.
M ATERIALS
one bag of microwavable popcorn SCIENCE MUSIC

Make the popcorn minutes before
students are expected to return to the
Music Makers
classroom from lunch or a special. Hide it Children play a matching game to
somewhere in the classroom. learn how insects locate one
When students return, wait for them to another through sound.
notice the smell. Challenge them to
“follow your nose” to find the popcorn. M ATERIAL
index cards
While you’re sharing the popcorn with
students, explain that ants use their TEACHING THE L ESSON
sense of smell to find food, too. When one
ant finds something to eat, it lets the others Teach children the following insect
know by leaving a trail of odors secreted “songs”:
from its body. The ants follow the trail, True Conehead Katydid: katy-did-
which leads them to the food. katy-she-did
Fill empty film canisters with Coulee Cricket: chip, chip-chip, chip
ACTIVITY cotton balls soaked in different
Extension Slender Meadow Grasshopper: tip,
scents—for example, perfume, tip, tip, tsee
lemon juice, vanilla, etc. Make two of each kind,
and enough so that each student will have one. Make insect sing-along cards by writing
Randomly distribute the scents and challenge the “songs” on index cards (katy-did-
students to find their match (the student with the katy-she-did; chip, chip-chip, chip; tip, tip,
same scent). Explain that some insects use their tip, tsee). Make duplicates of each song and
sense of smell to find others of the same species. make sure there is one card for each child.
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Randomly distribute one song card to

Literature Elinor J. Pinczes (Scholastic, each student. Let students move about
Connection the room, singing their songs and trying to
1993) tells the story of 100 ants
on their way to a picnic. Discuss this book in find other “insects” in the same species.
relationship to the pheromone trail.

ACTIVITY
Let students create a musical TEACHING THE L ESSON
pattern using their insect sing-
Extension Make an insect “traffic light” for the
along cards. Create this
pattern—tip, tip, tip, tsee; tip, tip, tip, tsee; chip, first part of the lesson. Cut out and
chip-chip, chip; tip, tip, tip, tsee; tip, tip, tip, color each dotted circle on a copy of page 44
tsee; chip, chip-chip, chip; etc.—by asking so you have one red, one yellow, and one
students with those cards to line up in front of green light. Paste the circles over the
the class. Can the rest of the students name corresponding insects on the “traffic light.”
what comes next in the pattern? Create other
Show students the traffic light. Ask
patterns so all students get a turn.
them to name the colors and tell what
The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric each one means. (red = stop; yellow = go
Literature Carle (Philomel Books, 1990) slow or warning; green = go) Tell students
Connection that some insects talk to each other using
shows how a cricket makes its
sound (by rubbing his wings together) and why color. Share what some colors mean:
(to attract a mate). It also includes a surprise Ladybug (black and red) = I taste bad.
ending—a hidden recording of a cricket chirp
Bee (yellow and black) = I sting.
on the last page. After reading, let students
create a symphony of crickets by rubbing a file Monarch butterfly (orange and black) =
folder against the edge of a stiff piece of I am poison.
paper.
Give each student a copy of Color-
Coded Bugs. Let them cut out and color
SCIENCE each circle to represent the warning colors
of the ladybug, bee, and butterfly:
Red with black spots (ladybug)
Color-Coded Yellow and black stripes (bee)
Orange and black pattern (butterfly)
Bugs Have students match the colored circles
to the corresponding insect on the traffic
Children learn that insects light. Show them how to glue down one edge
communicate through visual of each circle to create flaps. Let them lift the
signals, then make a traff ic light flaps to reveal the matching insects.
to display the warning colors of a
Some insects are copycats: They
ladybug, bee, and butterf ly. ACTIVITY wear warning colors, but do not
Extension
have the defenses to taste bad,
M ATERIALS sting, or poison. They are known as mimics.
Color-Coded Bugs (see page 44) Invite your students to become “insect mimics”
pictures of a Monarch butterfly (orange by coming to school dressed in the warning
and black), ladybug, bee colors of either the ladybug, bee, or butterfly.
scissors
Let your students discover how
crayons Literature other animals use color to
glue Connection
communicate by reading
Animal Dazzlers: The Role of Brilliant Colors in
Nature by Sneed B. Collard (Franklin Watts, 1998).

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
Color-Coded Bugs
I taste bad.
I sting.
I am poison.

Meet Miss Spider
U
p to this point, your students have been learning about all
sorts of bugs—butterflies, beetles, ladybugs, and more.
But they may have been wondering: What about spiders?
Use your wrap-up celebration to introduce a new unit of
study—spiders! David Kirk’s Miss Spider’s Tea Party (Scholastic,
1994) is a wonderful place to start, and sets the stage beautifully
for a class celebration. As children prepare for and participate in
the party, they’ll apply what they’ve learned about insects to find
out more about an insect of their choice (who will become a
“guest” at their party), and revisit favorite activities and projects
to reinforce concepts and celebrate learning.
Science Notes
Spiders aren’t insects or bugs—they’re
arachnids! Other members of the arachnid
family include horseshoe crabs, scorpions,
mites, and ticks. Unlike the f ictional spider in Miss Spider's
Tea Party, real spiders are carnivorous and most do eat
insects. Some spiders spin webs to catch their prey. The
spider injects the insect with a digestive enzyme, then
sucks out the juices. Unlike insects, which have six legs and
three body sections, spiders have eight legs and two
body sections. Many spiders have eight eyes, too!

PA R T 1 Formerly Known As ____________: (name as
a larva or nymph here—for example, grub
or dragonfly nymph)
Tea Party Who Resides At ____________: (address
should reflect where the insect lives—for
Invitations example, 53 Anthill Road)

And Dines On ____________: (what the
Students listen to the story that insect eats—for example, leaves, nectar,
inspires the culminating project etc.)
and celebration. Mark the date of the tea party on the
classroom calendar by drawing a spider
M ATERIALS or using one cut from construction paper.
Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk Remind students to bring their insects and
(Scholastic, 1994) guest book pages to school in time for the
insect-making materials (such as party. Invite families to join students and
connecting blocks, marshmallows, their insect "guests" in the tea party
toothpicks, paper tubes, egg cartons, celebration.
pipe cleaners, pom-poms, balls, clay)
reclosable sandwich bags PA R T 2
guest book page (see page 48)
Tea Party
Treats
In Miss Spider’s Tea Party, the
guest and his hostess dine on
cupcakes and tea. Here, students
TEACHING THE L ESSON create an edible f loral
Read Miss Spider’s Tea Party to
centerpiece for their party.
students.
M ATERIALS
Invite students to create insects for fruits and vegetables (such as grapes,
their own tea party. Explain that the blueberries, strawberries, carrot wheels,
insects they create must be based on a real baby carrots, cucumber slices, radishes,
insect. Let children pack up materials in cherry tomatoes, pineapple chunks)
sandwich bags and take them home to build bamboo skewers
their insects. Give each child a guest book
toothpicks
page, too. Have children complete the guest
book pages as follows to tell about their spaghetti squash (several)
insects: curly-leaf lettuce
juice
I’d Like You to Meet Mr./Ms. ____________:
(type of insect here) cups

TEACHING THE L ESSON If students' families have joined the
class for the celebration, take time to
Place a platter of sliced fruits and
share some of the following activities:
vegetables, toothpicks, and bamboo
skewers at a center. Guide children in Create a display with books children have
following these steps to create “flowers” for made and activity sheets they’ve
a floral centerpiece. completed. (See pages 11 and 21.)
Choose a fruit or vegetable center for a Let children survey their visitors about
flower and push a bamboo skewer how they feel about bugs. Make extra
through the center. copies of page 12
for guests to
Create petals by poking toothpicks into
complete.
pieces of fruit and/or vegetables and
Encourage children
sticking them around the center of the
to share what they
flower in a pinwheel-like fashion.
know about bugs
Slice off the top of a spaghetti squash (for example, how
and scoop out the center to create a they are helpful) to
vase. One vase will hold approximately ten help increase their
flowers. guests’ comfort
level with these
Let children add their flowers to a vase tiny creatures.
by sticking the skewers into the inside
Invite children and
bottom of the squash. Add curly-leaf lettuce
their visitors to find a quiet corner and
to fill out the centerpiece. Place the finished
share a book about insects. (See
centerpiece(s) on a table until tea time.
Literature Connections throughout this
book for suggestions.)
Play a game of Insect Concentration to
share ways bugs eat. (See page 29.)
The Tea Party Decorate the classroom with the Bugs for
Lunch paper food chains. (See page 29.)
Students introduce their insect Invite visitors to try out students’

guests, then dine on “tea and ladybug wheels to learn more
about the life cycle of this
f lowers” while revisiting favorite insect. (See page 37.)
unit activities to reinforce and
celebrate all they’ve learned. Have children teach their visitors an
insect song. (See Insect Identification,
When it’s time for tea, introduce page 15, for an easy-to-learn song.) Sing it
yourself as Miss Spider. Assure your together!
guests that you do not eat insects (though
real spiders do). Serve “tea” (juice) and Photograph students with their insects.
flowers as students take turns introducing Have students complete their guest book
their insects and sharing what they’ve pages by gluing the photos in place (or
written on their guest book pages. drawing pictures of their insects). Put the
pages together to create a special memory
book of the event.

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________________________
I’d Like You to Meet…

Mr./Ms. _______________________________________________________________________________________
Formerly Known As _______________________________________________________________________
Who Resides At ____________________________________________________________________________
And Dines On ______________________________________________________________________________
Glue a photo of your insect here

(or draw a picture).

Safely hidden from danger’s eye,
How many creatures can you spy?
Moth
Grasshopper
Click
Beetle
Praying Mantis
Leaf
Hopper Butterfly
Bee Walking Stick
Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources ILLUSTRATION BY JANE CONTEH-MORGAN

Creepy Crawlies - Early Themes

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E A R LY T H E M E S

NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources

_Cleared for D.U._

Edited by Joan Novelli

Copyright © 2001 by Jacqueline Clarke

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Little Bugs, Big Helpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Reproducible Activity Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13

Insects on the Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Reproducible Activity Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19

Reproducible Activity Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24–26

Bugs for Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Creepy Crawly Camouflage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Reproducible Activity Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32–35

Reproducible Activity Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39–40

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 4

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 5

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 6

Ask Me About Insects

Insects can be helpful. Insects must eat to live.

Insects have certain Insects grow and change.

Insects can be found Insects communicate with

What I liked best about our study of insects: _________________________________________________

What I liked least about our study of insects: ____________________________________________

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 7

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 8

Eek! It’s a Bug! can use them as a resource for spelling.

After children have completed the

How I Feel Gather children in a circle and ask for

markers Now that you know how your

ACTIVITY students feel about bugs, turn

activity page the tables a bit and ask students

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 9

To Be a Bug sheet of paper and give one to each child.

Place bug books, picture

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 10

Little Bugs, Share Ed Emberley’s Great

M ATERIALS Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Page 6: thumbprint ladybug

Fruit flies help scientists find Ladybugs eat insects that

helpful. For example, snails,

Tell children that the book they have

Encourage children to take their mini-

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 11

Bugs make me feel __________________________________.

When I see a bug, I say __________________________________.

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 12

Flies are food for frogs.

Butterflies help plants Bees give us honey and

Fruit flies help scientists find Ladybugs eat insects that

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 13

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 14

Insect parts (sing to the tune of “Head and

Repeat the process using three more

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 15

Insects on the Place the first set of sentence strips into

Move the blanks with the insect cards. Read each

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 16

Learn about another insect that

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 17

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 18

Let’s Compare Senses

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 19

Early Themes: Creepy Crawlies © Jacqueline Clarke, Scholastic Teaching Resources 20

M ATERIALS Name __________________________________________________________________ Date _