More bug ideas

These ideas were compiled by me from mailings on the Kinder-L list. Unfortunately, I did not keep the names of the original posters, so I can not give credit. Enjoy!!

Bug Ideas....

Bee (same tune as "Old Hogan's Goat"/"Bill Grogan's Goat")
There was a bee-i-ee-i-ee,
Sat on a wall i-all-i-all,
And he could sting i-ing-i-ing,
And that's not all-i-all-i-all,
There was a boy -i-oy-i-oy-i-oy,
Who had a stick -i-ick-i-ick,
He gave that bee-i-ee-i-ee,
An awful lick i-ick-i-ick,
And then that bee i-ee-i-ee
Began to sting i-ing-i-ing
He stung that boy i-oy-i-oy
Like anything i-ing-i-ing,
And then that boy i-oy-i-oy
Began to yell i-ell-i-ell
He told that bee i-ee-i-ee
To go to---way down yonder in the corn-patch,
Where they don't sell lemonade or pop-pop-bang.

Spray Paint styro balls yellow and cut in half (large or med size for the
body and small for the head). (Cutting them in half will make them lay flat
against the bulletin board). To make the stripes, make masking tape stripes
over the yellow and spray black. Remove the tape and you now have a striped
bee! Sprinkling prisma glitter on the paint before the paint is dry would
be very fun--glitzy! You could use pipe cleaners for the stinger, antennae,
and legs. Use a low temp glue gun to glue wiggly eyes or beads for eyes and
a curved pipecleaner for the smile. For wings, use construction paper.
Outline the shape of the wings with Elmer's Glue, and also make "veins".
Sprinkle Prisma Glitter on the glue. A fancier version could use tulle fabric
dipped in glue or starch to stiffen it--I think this would be beautiful!
Assemble the body parts with a low-temp glue gun or pins.
FOR THE BOARD:
Use blue background paper. Sponge paint clouds, if you like. Put the bees on
the board and use a marker to draw dashed lines behind the bees to show the
"flight patterns" (lines & loop-d-loops). Caption: "Mrs. Harris' Busy Bees" I
like to make elaborate banners with my printshop program--the new version
lets you do so many creative things, like adding pictures sitting on the
letters, etc. I laminate the banners and don't always post them flat on the
board--I pin them so they have "waves". Also, don't be afraid to let your
banners extend off the edges of your boards or be placed cross-ways!
To make the board more kid centered, you could make a bee for each child. Use
your computer to make pretty fun font name tags for each child (I would use a
sheet of labels), and put it beside each bee. During the first day, get each
child to tell something that they will be busy doing--i.e. I will be busy
learning to read. Write it on a white speech balloon, back-frame it with
black paper, and put it on the board by the child's bee.
An alternative would be to just use a few bees, but to post photos of each
child. Make the speech balloons come from the photos!

ROOM DECORATIONS:
Make the stryo bees, but don't cut them in half. Suspend them from the ceiling
with fishing line. They could fly at all angles and heights!

Put a tiny bumblebee sticker in the corner of a 12x18 piece of white paper.
Give one to each child along with a black crayon. Tell them that you are
going to play a special song on the record player that will sound like a
bumblebee flying around and that they should pretend the bumblebee is on
their crayon as they draw his/her trip around their paper. Play the "Flight
of the Bumblebee." My kids love this activity.

Egg Carton Bees
Cut up the cardboard egg cartons so that each child will have a row of two or
three cups. The egg carton cups are the bee's body. The children can paint
the body with black and yellow stripes and then decorate the face. The
children can use paint or markers to decorate the face. You can use cut up
pipe cleaners for the antennas and legs. To make the wings, you can draw
the wings on paper and have the children cut them out, color them, and glue
them on. When I did this activity with K's, I had to make the holes for the
pipe cleaner.

You can also use the cartons to make caterpillars and other bugs. You might
want to check out the Trash to Treasure web site for more crafts made with
household items.

Good story starter-(did today)..Bertha and Bubba Bee Adventure--"One day
little Bertha Bee and her brother, Bubba Bee, decided to go visit their
grandma. She lived several miles from their beehive. On their way they
stopped at..." The kids made a chart...Places Bertha and Bubba Could Go and
anoither one that said...What they Would Do There. They wrote on a honeycomb
shaped white piece of paper..The bees went to... They.... Then illustrated
the picture. They chose either Bertha or Bubba bee tomake and color. I
glued these on yellow paper and put their bees beside their picture and put
the story starter above the butcher paper and titled it Flight of the
Bumblebees. They really enjoyed it. This is in that Lasting Lessons book.

A Bee is on Me
A bee is on my bonnet
A bee is on my nose,
A bee is on my shoulder
A bee is even on my toes!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!!
How can I be free?
A bee is in my hair
A bee is in my pants,
A bee is in my ears
A bee is making me dance
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!
How can I be free?
bee is near my socks,
The bee is near my shoes,
S P L A T !!!
Bee, I know how to take care of you!!
by Lasting Lessons

B-EYE: The world through the eyes of a bee
http://cvs.anu.edu.au/andy/beye/beyehome.html

The bee collects the pollen
From inside the flower's bloom
His home is in the oak tree,
But be careful, give him room.

If You Will Only Wait
The caterpillar said with a sigh,
to the bumblebee as it was flying by,
"If only I had wings as pretty as you,
I'd be very happy. Please tell me what to do!"

The bumblebee responded with a smile,
"If you will only wait a little while,
you'll be the happiest one in the sky,
because you'll be a pretty butterfly."

Bee Hive Game
Materials: Small box, brown paper, Construction Paper, Pictures of things
that start with 'B'. Picture of other things that don't. Cover a small box
with brown paper to make a beehive. Cut a slit in the top of the beehive and
label it with the letter B. Cut bee shapes out of construction paper. Glue
pictures of things that have names beginning with B and pictures of things
that have names beginning with other letters on the bee shapes. Explain to
the children that only the bees that have pictures of things whose names
begin with 'B' can go into the 'B' hive. Then let the children take turns
selecting a bee and deciding whether or not it can go into the beehive.

The Bee Hive
Here is the bee hive
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they come creeping
Out of the hive
One and two and three, four, five

Give each child a 12x18 piece of white paper and a black crayon. Stick a
bumble bee sticker in one corner of the paper. Tell the children you are
going to play a song called The Flight of the Bumblebee and they are to move
their crayon along the paper showing the flight of the bee. Most have never
heard the recording before and they love it.
If you are going to be listening to the Flight of the Bumblebee-be sure to
read Berlioz by Jan Brett. It goes along with that very well.

Make a class book about Bees (KWL)

Bugs make noise to attract mates or warn other of danger. Many rub different
body parts to make this noise. Become a "bug" band. Flies hum by beating
their wings, june bugs by blowing air through their spiracles and crickets
and grasshoppers by rubbing their hind legs against their forwings.

How many insects are compound words?

Do you like to Buzz?: (Tune - "Do Your Ears Hang Low")
Do you like to buzz.
Are you covered all in fuzz?
Do you call a hive a home
In the garden where you roam?
Do you know how to make honey,
Are your stripes a little funny?
Do you like to buzz?

Honey for Kids
http://www.homeworkcentral.com/Top8/files.htp?fileid=62925&use=jr
The National Honey Board has created these attractive and fun pages where
children can learn honey facts, history, trivia -- and find out why bees make
honey.

I'm A Little Honeybee (to I'm A Little Tea Pot)
I'm a little honeybee
Yellow and black
See me gather
Pollen on my back
What the queen bee tells me
I must do
So I can make sweet honey for you!

We did a bulletin board that said Bee a Reader . It looked like a big
honeycomb and was made up of yellow hexagons with the children's books that
had been read written on it. Also, when making bees for art, leftover
laminating film makes great wings! Also, wasn't there a song...I'm bringing
home a baby bumble bee

You take bottle nose clothes pins, not the spring kind, and you glue two
eyes to the rounded end and you also wrap part of a pipe cleaner around
this end to make an antenna. Then you take orange and yellow tissue
paper and you cut two long narrow ovals. You put a little bit of glue
on the wings and stuff them into the crack of the clothespin. The last
step is to put glue and sprinkle glitter on top of the clotespin so they
look like they are lighting up. When they are dry stick a magnet on the
underside of the clothespin. I hope this helps. When I started out the
origional idea was to make a dragon fly, but when I saw Eric Carle's
book I wanted to extended it so I told my students that they were going
to make fireflys. Good Luck with the bugs.
Melissa

I know how many people have trouble opening mail with attachments so I
just copied the page! Hope this is OK!
A Bug
I saw a bug
with twenty feet
Go crawling up
and down the street,
And wondered if
he stubbed one toe
If he would ever
really know.

Category: Insects
Title: Ant Information
- Each nest has a handful of males, less queens and lots of workers.
- Three balls (head, thorax, abdoman), six legs
- They smell with their antennae (very sensitive)
- The cooperate
- It's the queens job to lay the eggs, the males help her
- Some workers build the nests, some take care of the eggs, some hunt
for food, some take care of the queen
- Worker ants have two stomachs (one holds their food the other is for
sharing.)

Category: Insects
Title: B Hive Game
Materials: Small box, brown paper, Construction Paper, Pictures of
things that start with 'B', Picture of other things that don't.
Cover a small box with brown paper to make a beehive. Cut a slit in the
top of the beehive and label it with the letter B. Cut bee shapes out of
construction paper. Glue pictures of things that have names beginning
with B and pictures of things that have names beginning with other
letters on the bee shapes. Explain to the children that only the bees
that have pictures of things whose names begin with 'B' can go into the
'B' hive. Then let the children take turns selecting a bee and deciding
whether or not it can go into the beehive.

Category: Insects
Title: Bug Fingers
Need:Old rubber gloves, pipe cleaners, feathers, felt, wiggly eyes,etc.,
Hot glue gun or tacky glue
Cut the fingers off the rubber gloves, glue on pipecleaners for legs,
wiggly eyes, pompoms for noses, and feathers on back. Makes cute finger
puppets.
Contributed by Mary in MN (FunSis@aol.com)

Category: Insects
Title: Capture A Spider's Web
Materials: Enamel Spray Paint, Construction Paper or tagboard, Scissors,
Perhaps a ladder
Procedure: Search around outside until you find a good spider web. Spray
both sides of the web with enamel paint. BE CAREFUL--IF YOU SPRAY TOO
MUCH, THE WEB WILL TEAR FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE PAINT. Hold a piece of
paper or tagboard against the 'wet' web. It should stick to the wet
paint. Carefully cut the 'guy lines'. Lay the paper down until the web
is dry.

Category: Insects
Title: Carlos the Caterpillar
Have children trace large circles on green paper. (The inside of a roll
of masking tape makes an easily traceable shape.) The teacher numbers
the circles 1,2,3,4 etc. so that the children can paste them in
numerical order.
The children then cut out circles and paste them together by overlapping
slightly.
Small strips of paper can be available for adding 'feet.'

Category: Insects
Title: Caterpillar
Fuzzy, wuzzy, creepy, crawly,
Caterpillar funny,
You will be a butterfly
When the days are sunny.
Winging, flinging, dancing, springing,
Butterfly so yellow,
You were once a caterpillar
Wriggly, wiggly fellow.
Thanks to Judy Primrose of Saanich, B.C.
Contributed by Jean Roberts

Category: Insects
Title: Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillar
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar in the garden creeps
He spins himself a blanket and soon falls fast asleep.
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar wakes up by and by
To find he has wings of beauty, changed to a butterfly.

Category: Insects
Title: Incey Wincey Spider
Incey Wincey Spider
Climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain,
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun,
and dried up all the rain.
And the Incey Wincey Spider,
Climbed up the spout again.
Big Fat Charley
Tinny Winny Spider

Category: Insects
Title: Ladybugs
You need:paper bowls , red tissue paper, glue, black construction paper,
pipe cleaners, & paint brushes.
Give the children some tissue paper and have them rip it into small
pieces. Mix glue with a little water to thin it out and pour into a
small container. Give each child some glue and a paint brush. Let them
glue the tissue paper all over the back of the paper bowls . Cut some
black circles out of the construction paper and let them glue those on
to. Poke two holes in the bowl on one edge of the top and have the
children stick one end of the pipe cleaner in each hole from the inside
of the bowl and then pull them through so they look like antenna. We
finished up by drawing a face on with markers.Contributed by Carol

Category: Insects
Title: Little Wiggle Worm
(Teapot song)
I'm a little wiggle worm watch me go!
I can wiggle fast or very, very slow.
I wiggle all around, then back I go.
Down into the ground, to the home I know.
Contributed by BJ

Category: Insects
Title: Mr Butterfly
Butterfly, butterfly, where do you fly?
Where do you go alone?
Is it for flowers and honey you spy?
Have you a home of your own?
What is your name?
Do you live in the wood?
And what do you come to see?
Dear Mr. Buterfly, won't you tell
Your secrets to someone like me.
Contributed by Jean Roberts

Category: Insects
Title: Pretty Little Butterfly
Pretty little butterfly, what do you do all day?
I fly around the flowerpots, nothin' to do but play.
Nothin' to do but play, darlin', nothin' to do but play.
So fly butterfly, fly butterfly, don't waste your time away.

Category: Insects
Title: Spring Style
Caterpillars, dressed in fur,
Look elegant and grand;
If I dressed that way in spring,
No one would understand.

Category: Insects
Title: The Bee Hive
Here is the bee hive
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they come creeping
Out of the hive
One and two and three, four, five

Category: Insects
Title: The Ladybug
When strolling through the garden
You should chance to see
A ladybug out walking
Please say 'Hi!' for me.
For a ladybug is a good bug
And she helps the garden grow,
She's supposed to bring good luck
So be sure to say 'Hello!'
Contributed by Jean Roberts

Category: Insects
Title: Worm Bookmark
Cut out a curvy worm about 6-8 x 2-3 or as wanted Put the following on
it:
Preschool has gone to the worms! We've been watching worms, wiggling
like worms, and even eating worms (the gummy kind). When you stop to
think about it, worms are very fascinating.
Did you know that.....One kind of earthworm in Austrialia can grow up to
nine feet long?...Their tunneling, eating habits, waste elimination make
it easier for plants to grow in soil?
...Worms don't have any eyes, but special cells in their skin sense
light? I used plastic fishing worms (instead of the real thing) for the
kids to paint with.
Contributed by BJ

Category: Insects
Title: Worm Farm
1. Empty plastic soda bottle. Remove an inch or so of the top. Add 2
inches of gravel or small stones for drainage. We alternated layers of
dark brown dirt, old playsand and more dirt and new playsand. About 2 or
3 inches of each.
4. In the middle of the layers we snuck in some cut up peices of banana
peel. (A real worm treat food.)
5. Cover the outside of the bottle with black const. paper for a few
days. We started ours on Fri. pm. so the temptation to open would be
less.
6. Open in a few days. Look carefully. They should see tunnels made by
the worms as they moved. Soil levels begin to mix after a while. Shows
the kids how the worms do their work under the ground.

CANDY BUTTERFLIES:

Need
Blunt plastic knife
Gumdrops and/or candy orange slices
Pretzel knots (large & small)
Tubes if decorator icing (assorted colors)
Assorted candies (e.g., cinnamon dots, cake decor., colored sprinkles, etc.)
Dry cereal
Chow mein noodles and/or shoestring licorice for antennae

USE the knife to cut two slits in each gumdrop or candy orange slice. Press
a large or small pretzel knot into each slit to form the butterfly's wings.
Use dots of decorator icing to secure assorted candy pieces and/or dry
cereal to the wings and the bodies. Create antennae using shoestring
licorice and/or chow mein noodles.

Can You Move With Me?
(tune: "Do Your Ears Hang Low")

Can you wiggle like a worm?
Can you squiggle? Can you squirm?
Can you flutter? Can you fly like a gentle butterfly?
Can you crawl upon the ground
Like a beetle that is round?
Can you move with me?

Can you flip? Can you flop?
Can you give a little hop?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you give a little shake?
Can you dance like bee
Who is buzzing round a tree?
Can you move with me?

Wiggle, Wiggle Little Worm
(tune: "twinkle, twinkle little star")

Wiggle, wiggle little worm.
Wiggle, wiggle, jiggle, squirm.
If a robin you should see,
Hide as quick as quick can be.
Wiggle, wiggle little worm.
Wiggle, wiggle, jiggle, squirm.

Never Hurt A Ladybug
(tune: "Yankee Doodle")

Ladybugs are in my yard.
Just look at them devour
Those pesky aphids on the leaves
Of Mother's pretty flowers.
Never hurt a ladybug.
We need them in the garden.
Ladybugs help flowers grow
So we must never hurt them.

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding for every 8 children
2 c. of milk per box
1 Gummy worm per child
Teacher Prep:
Place the cookies the plastic bag and crush into crumbs. Prepare
chocolate pudding according to package directions.
Children put Gummy Worm on bottom on foil cupcake cup. Spoon in cookies
crumbs and pudding.
These ideas were from The Mailbox, 8/9/95
Contributed by BJ
Retur

Poems:
Butterfly Hunt

With a net I go hunting to catch a butterfly.
But when I catch one, I turn it loose
To fly back into the sky!

Bug Song to the tune of "Frere Jacques"
Crawling caterpillar, crawling caterpillar,
All around, all around
Crawling, crawling, crawling
Crawling, crawling, crawling
On the ground
On the ground.

Hopping grasshopper, hopping grasshopper,
Hops very high, hops very high
Hopping, hopping, hopping
Hopping, hopping, hopping
Up to the sky
Up to the sky.

Walking ladybug, walking ladybug,
It's so neat, it's so neat
Walking, walking, walking
Walking, walking, walking
Down the street
Down the street.
by Christina Rosetti

Bee

Busy little buzzing bee
Buzzing round the apple tree
Busy little buzzing bee
Where DO you get your energy?

Ants

Push! Pull!
Heave! Jerk!
Keep clear!
Ants at work!

Spiders

Clever spider spins a thread
To make a trap we call a web.
Clever spider knows that she
Will have some insects with her tea.

Caterpillar

Creepy, crawly caterpillar
Lunching on some leaves
Eating up my lettuces
I wish you lunched on weeds.

Entomology

Entomology! What a word!
It's not a word I've often heard
It's something to do with bugs and bees
And ladybugs and flies and fleas
I'm sure you know, of course you've guessed
It's getting to know-- all about INSECTS!

Dom Deluise is the author of Charlie the Caterpillar -- the kids love this one as much as The Hungary Caterpillar.

Of course you most also get caterpillars so that the children can watch the process of Metamorphosis "up close and personal". They are available from company called InsectLore.

This is a song that I teach my kids (written by the K supervisor in my district & some K kids):
(tune: Frere Jacques)

Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Four stages of growth
Four stages of growth
First you are an egg,
Then you are a larva,
Pupa and adult,
Pupa and adult.

We change the scientific names to fit the animal (frog, butterfuly)
Ex: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly
Ex. egg, tadpole, froglet, frog

Hope these ideas help.

We will read BUGS by Nancy Winslow Parker.
It is an unusual combination of rhymes, scientific facts and illustrations
for young readers to enjoy. On the left side of the open pages, a rhyme about
a person and a gug is printed with clear, simple, colorful illustrations. On
the right side of the open pages, Parker provides a scientific drawing of the
bug and the authors discuss facts about the insects. The book introduces them
to the fascinating world of fifteen common insects and one slug.

Circle Time Presentation
We are going to recall the insects THE VERY QUIET CRICKET met, and discuss
that Cricket's story was an imaginary one, and that insects do not talk in
human voices to each other. Ask Aaron what insects he has seen or felt. I
will elicit some discussion about biting insects as mosquitoes and fleas, and
begin reading the first page where Thelma is bitten on the thigh by a
housefly. I will read only the rhyming pages of the book first. I will read
the first page again, and ask him if he noticed the drawings on the right
pages. Then I will read all that he requests.
We will then listen to the short version of the book on cassette
tape(available in the library)

Art
We will recall and illustrate an experience they had with a bug.
MATERIALS NEEDED
CHOICE OF ART MEDIA, EASEL, PAINTS AND BRUSHES, CRAYONS, COLORED PENCILS,
CHALKS, MARKERS, LARGE SHEET OF PAPER
**WHAT TO DO---
We will move to the art center and discuss some of my encounters with bugs, a
bee string, a mosquito bite. Just as the children in the book encounter bugs,
I will have describe some of his close encounters with bugs or slugs.
We will fold the large sheet of art paper down the middle. Ask Aaron to draw
or paint on the left side of the paper.
When his drawing or paintings are completed, I will ask him to dictate or I
will write in his own words sentence or two about the bug or slug encounters.
**Something to think about--
I will bind these illustrations in a book for him. We will create a role
playing on what happened in his encounter.

Creative Dramatics
We will discuss how some people are afraid of bugs and slugs. We will talk
about how some people run away, others go for the bug spray or fly swatter and
some jump on the chairs.
We will look at the illustrations of the people and their reactions to bugs
and slugs in the book BUGS.
I will ask him which character in the book he would like to be, and act out
their experiences. I will let him look at the book with the particular
character. I will then read the book BUGS again and let him act the scene.
When it is time for his character, I will remind him to get "ready".

Library Corner
I will place the taped version in the cassette player with headphones on his
library table. He will be able to listen to it, when he desires. I will also
place a collection of insect books in the same area. Some of the books I
chose were World's Weirdest Bugs by M.L. Roberts, Facts about Insects by
Elizabeth Cooper, A Golden Guide Insects by Herbert S. Zim, PH.D., Eye Openers
Insects and Crawly Creatures by Angela Royston, and Spiders by Gail Gibbons.

Mathematics and Manipulatives: Symbols for Size
Aaron will identify symbols which relate to the actual lengths of insects.
Materials
Paper, marker, basket containing a variety of objects such as crayon box,
pieces of chalk, crayon, paper clips small toy cars.
What to do--
I will ask Aaron to select some objects from the basket and draw them. I
will ask him to trace around it to make an outline. I will discuss how this
is the actual size of the object. We will look at the illustrations in BUGS.
We will discuss how the pictures of the children, bugs, slugs and the insects
are drawn larger than they really are. I will ask him to decide whether the
insects in the scientific drawings are really that large. The line on the
right side on the drawings are the actual size of the insect or slug. I will
ask Aaron if he knows why the author drew them that large. I will then ask
him to draw a line beside his first drawings to indicate the length the object
from the basket really is. I will draw his attention to the symbols used in
the scientific drawings. Parts of the insects or slugs are numbered, then a
key is provided. In addition, the scientific signs for male and female are
used.

Science and Nature
We will go on a nature walk and collect a live insect. His insect bottle has
a magnifying glass included. Hopefully, we will be able to find a dead one!
I will lay it out onto a tray and let him gently move it with a popsicle
stick. I will let him examine it under a magnifying glass to look closely at
the insect's body parts. I will help him learn how to pronouce
"Entomologists.".
Music
(tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb")
The bugs are creeping in the soil,
In the soil, In the soil.
The bugs are creeping in the soil
So they can find their food.

The bugs are creeping in the soil,
In the soil, in the soil.
The bugs are creeping in the soil,
So they can find their food.

Sensory
In my water table I will add rubber bugs and dirt and let him dig, dig and
dig!

* Here a short song about bugs:

To the tune of "frere Jacques"
Big bug, small bugs
Big bugs, small bugs
see them crawl
On the wall
Never, never falling.
Bugs, bugs, bugs

A Fingerplay

1, 2, 3 ( hold up fingers)
Theres a bug on me! (point to shoulder)
Where did it go? ( brush off)
I don't know ( Shrug Shoulder and look really puzzled)

* Bugs

June bug, stinkbug,
Ladybug, chinch bug,
Water bug, pink bug,
Please-don't-pinch bug!

Horsefly, housefly,
Dragonfly, deer fly,
Firefly, fruit fly,
Buzzing-in-your-ear fly!

Honeybee, bumblebee,
Queen bee, drone bee,
Worker bee, nurse bee,
Leave-me-alone bee!

Gypsy moth, luna moth,
Beetle and mosquito,
Bugs and insects
Really are neat-o!

Cockroach, katydid,
Cricket and cicada,
Grasshopper, mantid,
Catch you all later!

* CATERPILLAR CHANT

A caterpillar looks so small.
It is hardly there at all.
It munches on green leafy treats,
And it gets bigger as it eats.

It eats and eats, 'til pretty soon,
It wraps up tight in a cocoon.
When it wakes up it blinks its eyes
And says, "I'm now a butterfly!"

BUTTERFLY CHANT

A burst of blue,
A shock of green,
A flap of wings is all that's seen.
A flutter in the flower beds,
A burst of blue,
A bit of red,
A whisper as it flutters by,
You're oh so pretty, butterfly.The fireflies at night go blink, blink, blink
Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink
The fireflies at night go blink, blink, blink
Out in the garden.

The bees in the flowers go buzz, buzz, buzz
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz
The bees in the flowers go buzz, buzz, buzz
Out in the garden

continue with the other verses as criket/feilds/ chirp
ants/in the grass/march
caterpillars/on the leaves/munch
spiders/in the bush/ spin their webs
butterflies in the sky/go flit,
ladybug on the wall/ have lots of spots
worms/in the ground/ wiggle and squirm
mosquitos outside/ they get smacked

* Wiggly Wriggly Caterpillar

Wiggly wriggly caterpillar (forefingers flat on desk,hump them and flatten
them alternately, in motion of a caterpillar)
Crawling on the ground;
Someday you'll be a butterfly (hook thumbs together, wave fingers in motion
of butterfly wings)
Flitting all around
But first into your small cocoon (cup hands together to form cocoon)
You shall have to creep (repeat first action)
And there through stormy winter months
All curled up you'll sleep (head resting on hands, sleeping)

These are some really neat sites on bugs. Hope you enjoy.
Sandy/K/MO
Click here: Yucky Bug World
Teache
r Guide
http://www.yucky.com/teachercenter/index.ssf?/bugs/index.html#k2
Images of
Insects and their Relatives
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/images.html
Insect-World Front Page
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/images.html
Experience Entomology
http://www.entsoc.org/educate.htm this is really cool
Univers
ity of Kentucky Department of Entomology
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/ythfacts/entyouth.htm
MY INSECTS PAGE
http://www.eagle.ca/%7Ematink/insects.html
Insects as Food
- Insect Recipes
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/Misc/InsectsAsFood.html
Iowa State University
Entomology Image Gallery
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/

http://entowww.tamu.edu/academic/ucourses/ento489/lesson_plans.html
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/372.html

Buggy Biology Lesson (London Bridge is Falling Down)
Head and thorax, abdomen, abdomen, abdomen.
Head and thorax, abdomen, That's and insect.

Every insect has six legs, has six legs, has six legs.
Every insect has six legs, that's an insect.

Antennae to feel their way, feel their way, fell their way.
Antennae to feel their way, that's an insect.

Grouchy Lady bug draw a big lady bug and in the middle put a word search.
word bank can be aphid, molt, bettle, pests, eggs, pupa, elytra,
scale,insect, spots, ladybird, thorax, larva, wings.

make grouchy ladybugs put all different kinds of expressions on their faces.

Grasshopper count off

make a finger puppet
Hop acros your paper with a pair of stamp pad hopper prints, as you hop count
by 2's.

How many hops can YOU make without losing count?

How many finger hops between points A & B.

Venn diagram of Vocabulary words.. Moth Butterfly
cocoon, eggs, metamorphosis, caterpillar, dormant, pupa, chrysalis

Lightning Bug ( You are my Sunshine)

I'm like a "lite brite"
I have a night light.
I fly in circles, up in the sky.
Some call me "lightning".
When my light's blinking.
But to my friends, I'm just "firefly."

While others sleep tight,
flash my night light,
fill the dark sky with light so bright.
Look out your window,
You'll see me flashing,
And then I'll turn off and tell you
"good night.
Bumble bee, Bumble Bee (jingle bells)

Bumblebee, bumblebee,
landing on my toes.
Bumblebee, bumblebee now he's on my nose.
On my arms, on my legs, on my elbows.
Bumblebee, oh bumblebee he lands and then he goes.

Ant Song (She'll be comin round the Mountain)
Oh, the ants are busy, busy as can be.
Oh, the ants are busy, busy as can be.
See them dig and dig and dig, lots of tunnels oh, so big.
Oh, the ants are busy, busy as can be.

In Insect Song (Three blind mice)
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz
Bumblebees buzz. Buzz over here, Buzz over there.
They buzz up high and they buzz down low.
Around and around and around they go.
They buzz-buzz fast and they buzz-buzz slow
Oh bumblebees buzz!
*** grasshoppers hop, butterflies flutter, little ants run, ladybugs fly,
crickets jump.

Shiny Green Bug (Little White Duck)

Chorus:

There's a shiny green bug
sittin by the water.
A shiny green bug
doin' what she oughter.

Verse one

Her special name is dragonfly
and she stares at you with her great. big eye.

Repeat chorus
Verse two
She lays her eggs near a clear, wet pool.
And she sits on a stem looking like a jewel.
Reat chorus
Verse three
She flies in the air searching for her lunch.
And she grabs and insect for a tasty munch!
Repeat chorus.
by Andra Christenson both the above and below.
It's an Insect ( My Darling Clementine)
It's an insect
not a spider
it has six legs
instead of eight.
3 on this side
3 on tht side
and it's crawling on my plate. :-)

Make a class book about Bees (KWL)

How many insects are compound words?

Let's Sing: Do you like to Buzz? (Do your ears hang low)

Do you like to buzz.
Are you covered all in fuzz?
Do you call a hive a home
In the garden where you roam?
Do you know how to make honey,
Are your stripes a little funny?
Do you like to buzz?

A bee is on me by lasting lessons

A bee is on my bonnet
A bee is on my nose,
A bee is on my shoulder
A bee is even on my toes.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!
How can I be free?

A bee is in my hair
A bee is in my pants,
A bee is in my ears
A bee is making me dance.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!
How can I be free?

The bee is near my socks
The bee is near my shoes,
SPLAT!
Bee, I know how to take care of you!

Literature

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alpha Bugs : A Pop-Up Alphabet by David A. Carter

Baby Bugs (Photo Baby Board Books) by Tom Arma

The Best Book of Bugs by Claire Llewellyn

Billions of Bugs by Clare Mishica

A Bug's Life by Jeff Kurtti

Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parke

Bugs! by David T. Greenber

Bugs, Beetles, and Butterflies by Harriet Ziefert

Creepy, Crawly Baby Bugs by Sandra Markle

Do Flies Have Eyes?; A Book about Bugs by D. K. Sullivan

If You Were a Bug: A Pop-Up Book About Bugs and You by Dawn Bentley

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

Honey Bee Robber by Eric Carle

There Ain't No Bugs on Me by Jerry Garcia

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz by Byron Barton

Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Vern Aardema

There was an Old Lady...by P.M. Adams

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poetry
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bugs (by Mesh Goldish)

Sung to "When the Saints Go Marching in"

Oh, when the bugs go marching in,

Oh, how I'll see the ants and the beetles,

Oh, when the bugs go marching in.

Oh, when the bugs begin to crawl,

Oh, how I'll see the roaches and termites,

Oh, when the bugs begin to crawl.

Oh, when the bugs come flying in,

Oh, how I'll see the moths and mosquitoes,

Oh, when the bugs come flying in.

Oh, when the bugs begin to buzz,

Oh, how I'll hear the bees and cicadas,

Oh, when the bugs begin to buzz.

Oh, when the bugs begin to leap,

Oh, how I'll see the fleas and the crickets,

Oh, when the bugs begin to leap.

Bugs (by Meish Goldish)

June bug, stinkbug,

Ladybug, chinch bug,

Water bug, pink bug,

Please-don't-pinch bug!

Horsefly, housefly,

Dragonfly, deer fly,

Firefly, fruit fly,

Buzzing-in-your-ear fly!

Honeybee, bumblebee,

Queen bee, drone bee,

Worker bee, nurse bee,

Leave-me-alone bee!

Gypsy moth, luna moth,

Beetle and mosquito,

Bugs and insects

Really are neat-o!

Cockroach, katydid,

Cricket and cicada,

Grasshopper, mantid,

Catch you all later!

Firefly Hi (by Helen H. Moore)

What's that?

In the summer evening sky?

Again it goes!

Fly-flashing by!

It's here, it's there, it's...

A firefly!

Blinking against the darkening sky

Is just his way of saying "Hi,"

To another

Firefly.

Ladybug Rhyme (by Maria Fleming)

Ladybugs all dressed in red

Strolling through the flowerbed.

If I were tiny just like you

I'd creep among the flowers too!

In the Beehive (author unknown)

Here is the beehive,

But where are the bees?

Hidden inside, where nobody sees.

Watch as they come out of their hive,

one, two, three bees,

four bees, five!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Read the Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. Give each child a frame
that reads at ___________ o'clock the very grouchy ladybug
_____________. Share them and put them into a class book.
2. After learning about ladybugs, make a ladybug snack. For each student
you will need one half of an English muffin, cream cheese that has been
dyed red with food coloring and raisins. Spread the colored cream cheese
onto the muffin half, add black raisin dots and eat the delicious lady
bug.

3. Imagine what life might be like living life as small as an ant. Write
a shared class story about what school would be like if they all became
so tiny!

4. After writing your ant story eat some Ants on a log. You will need
one celery stalk or pretzel rod, peanut butter and raisins for each
student. Spread the peanut butter on your celery or pretzel, add your
raisin ants and eat! Your class will never have thought ants could taste
so good!

5. If you teach near a park, take your class to watch black ants and
their activity. Record it on a data sheet. If you bring some jelly and
peanutbutter put some on the ground. Guess which one the ants will like.
Check to see if your guess was right.

6. I really think it is a neat idea to have an ant farm at a bug center
students can record and share what they see.

7. Discuss the importance of bees. Make a class K,W,L chart all about
bees and the jobs they do!

8. Have a honey sampling. (I find many different varieties pretty
inexpensively at Marshalls and TJ MAXX) Make refridge biscuits for each
child. Try different types of honey on top and have the kids use bee
shaped papers to graph their favorite. Some we have tried include Lime
ginger, sage honey, tangerine, Orange honey with grapefruit, Clover
honey. It is neat to serve it with iced tea sweetened with what else?
HONEY!

9. If you have access to a portion of a bee hive, leave it at a center
with magnifying glasses, etc. Let the students draw what they see.

10. After reading There was an old lady. Have the kids trace a large
woman shape and the things she ate. I make the dog bigger then the cat,
etc., etc. Then we glue them in the tummy. Or you can leave them
unglued, attach them with a paper clip to the lady and have the children
retell the story.

11. After reading Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear, we make a huge
class timeline of the story. We paint water color pictures of each
character and glue them in the correct order.

12. Another nice thing to have at your center along is a clear container
with rocks on the bottom, with sand and moist soil. Put an earth worm
inside. Allow each student to predict what the worm will do. Then cover
the jar with black paper for one week. Then remove the paper and record
your findings.

13. Have each student choose an insect to learn more about, use the
sites I have listed (they have links to many more sites!) and books to
learn 3 facts about their bugs. Also make a paper mache model of your
bug!

My Favorite Web Sites

Beneficial Insects
Insect Images
Elementary Science Bug page!
Insect Recipes
Lessons for a Year of Insects
Bug Fun!
Great Primary Bug Ideas!
Grades 2-3 Insect Unit
Back to My May Page!
Back to my Homepage!

Collaborative Thematic Unit Theme: Insects

by Julie Parks and Eileen Sullivan

FOCUS: Students will explore the world of insects to expand their
knowledge of ants, bees, butterflies, caterpillars and ladybugs.

GRADE LEVEL: Primary

OBJECTIVES:

1. Identify the characteristics of an insect.

2. Identify habitats of insects.

3. Describe the process of metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a
butterfly.

4. Identify the various roles of bees such as queen, workers, robbers,
etc. in making honey.

5. Identify the parts of an ant's anatomy and the roles within an ant
colony.

6. Identify the characteristics of a ladybug.

SETTING THE STAGE: PRE-ACTIVITIES

Insect Library: Prepare your classroom for a unit on insects by
collecting books, magazines and pamphlets on insects, entomology, etc.
(Refer to Related Literature.)

Brainstorm: Brainstorm to see how much students know about insects by
putting an idea web on the board and letting the students give their
ideas while you write them down. Have them copy the web into their
journals. At the end of the unit, have them complete and contrast what
they've learned.

Independent Reading: Introduce a time for silent independent reading.
Plan periodic 15-20 minute slots for this activity and have a student
read a book or article about insects. Give 15 minutes of reading
homework and set a date for books to be finished. Have students take no
tes in their journals to be shared during the culminating activity.

Research Teams: Pair the students up and have them draw the name of an
insect out of a jar. Have the teams conduct research on each insect
throughout the unit to be shared at the end of a unit in a five-minute
oral presentation. An insect book will be turned in by each team to be
used on an interactive bulletin board. (See Bulletin Boards Ideas.)
Discussion: Discuss the characteristics of an insect using a diagram to
illustrate. All insects share the following characteristics: * 3 body
parts: 1. Head; contains a mouth, eyes, and a brain 2. thorax: the
locomotion center, full of muscles that move the wings and legs 3.
abdomen: contains the heart, digestive organs, and breathing organs * 6
jointed legs attached to the thorax * No internal skeleton * A tough
outer covering called an exoskeleton * 2 antennae for smell, touch and
sometimes hearing attached to the head * Holes in the thorax and abdomen
called spiracles to breathe air * Mouthparts that pierce, suck, sponge
or chew * Many insects have 2 pairs of wings

Around Your Neighborhood: Identify the most common insects local to your
city or state.

Field Trip: Natural History Museum or nature center.

Bug Club: Make a chart of activities to be completed during the unit and
each student's name. Have each student mark off each activity as they
complete it. Certificates will be given during the culminating activity.

Nature Station:
Have the students create an observation center in your classroom by
taking a nature walk to collect various insects. Assemble garden
creature habitats for display. (Instructions below) Provide a magnifying
glass, ruler, and insect viewing jar. Keep a journal nearby for students
to record information such as the size of the largest pill bug, the date
when babies are first discovered, the number of bugs in each container.
Caterpillar Bug Jug: Prepare a caterpillar home is a small fish tank, a
shoebox or milk carton with a hole cut for viewing. Cover the hole with
hosiery. Place a small twig or two in the home for it to use during the
pupation phase of its life. Take the children on a caterpillar hunt.
Look for caterpillars on the leaves and stems of plants. For food, take
a supply of leaves from the plant on which you found the caterpillar.
Sprinkle the leaves with a little water and keep them in airtight
containers in the refrigerator. Or take several small branches of the
leaves and place them in water.
Cricket Bug Jug: Purchase crickets from a pet store or bait and tackle
shop. Prepare a terrarium in a jar including: potato halves, potting
soil, pebbles or gravel, plants, and a screen or cheesecloth to cover.
Add moss so where babies can hide so the adults won't eat them. Feed
them bits of fruit, vegetables and dry rabbit food. Keep a small
container (jar lid) filled with water in the habitat. Create a section
on crickets in their insect journals and make entries.
Pill Bug (Roly-polies) Jug: Have the students collect pill bugs, sticks
and rocks. Place in a terrarium or jar layered with gravel(bottom),
charcoal and potting soil. Place potatoes halves and plants inside for
food. Place a screen or cheesecloth over the top. Mist daily with a
spray bottle. The pill bugs will thrive if kept moist and out of direct
sunlight.
Firefly Bug Jug: Have each child catch fireflies at home at night. Put a
bright flashlight inside a white pillowcase and place it outside in the
dark. When an insect lands, place the mouth of a jar over it. Slide an
index card underneath the opening and turn the jar right side up.
Replace the card with a clear plastic cover and use a pencil to punch
small holes in the top for air. Have students bring the fireflies to
class. Materials: Terrariums or jugs, cheesecloth, gravel, pebbles,
potatoes, moss, leaves, magnifying glass, ruler, and insect viewing jar.

Centipede Incentive for Reading: Have children trace one of their hands
on brightly colored paper and cut it out. With the fingers pointed
downward, create a centipede by connecting the handprints as segments
and adding a fanciful head to the first one. As you read books about
garden creatures and bugs, write the titles on the hand shapes for a
reading list display. Materials: Construction paper or bright, heavy
weight paper, scissors.

CATERPILLARS AND BUTTERFLIES:
Cocoon Collecting:
Take a nature walk as a class to find cocoons. Collect a cocoon and
bring it back to the classroom to be placed in the nature station for
observation. Have the students note any changes in their insect
journals.
Discussion:
1. What is a cocoon?
2. What happens to a caterpillar when it leaves the cocoon?
Evaluation: Observation of participation in nature walk and insect
journal entries.

Sequencing Lesson:
Do a sequencing lesson of the life cycle of a butterfly beginning with
eggs on a leaf, caterpillar stage, pupa or chrysalis stage to adult
butterfly.
Discussion:
1. What are the stages of the lifecycle of a butterfly?
2. Describe each stage.
Evaluation: Observation of participation in the sequencing of the
lifecycle of a butterfly.

Related Literature/ Discussion: Read Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom
Deluise and The Butterfly Collector by Naomi Lewis and discuss the two.
Create a Venn Diagram showing the similarities and differences of
butterflies and moths. Learn the difference between a caterpillar and a
moth. (i.e. A butterfly spins a chrysalis, has straight antennae with
knobby ends, is awake during the day and asleep at night and rests with
its wings straight up versus a moth who spins a cocoon, has feathery
antennae without knobs, is asleep during the day, and only comes out at
night and rests with its wings flat.) Compare different kinds of
butterflies such as monarch, red admiral, tiger swallowtail, common
sulphur and painted lady.
Discussion:
1. What is the difference between a caterpillar and a moth?
2. What are the similarities between a caterpillar and a moth?
3. Name some different types of butterflies. How are they alike? How are
they different?
Evaluation: Observation of participation in the completion of a Venn
diagram.

Art/Music: Make butterflies to hang in the classroom:
Materials: Butterfly shape metallic curling ribbon heavy paper Wooden
chopsticks fishing line tape Glitter Optional: Tempera paint Optional:
coat hangers and yarn

Reproduce pattern on bright, heavy paper. Color and cut out. Attach a
12" length of fishing line near the center to balance. Decorate with
glitter and ribbon. (Optional: Fold the butterfly. Have the children
drop blobs of paint on one side of the crease and fold, rubbing it with
their hands.) When dry, slip the butterflies between pairs of wooden
chopsticks and tape the ends together. (Note: make sure the center of
the butterfly is one to two inches shorter than the chopsticks.) Use
with music, swinging the insects in circles and figure eights. Optional:
Make mobiles with several butterflies hanging from each.

Discussion:
1. What is migration?

2. Where does the monarch butterfly migrate?

3. What do you think it would feel like to fly like a butterfly? 4. What
does a butterfly see as it flies in the city? In the country? Over the
ocean? In the mountains?

Drama: Metamorphosis Play Create a play to act out the metamorphosis of
a caterpillar to a butterfly using the following characters to be
presented at the culminating activity.
Cast: Nathan the narrator-a naturalist
Betty butterfly-adult female butterfly
Carlos the Caterpillar-a bright yellow and black caterpillar
Iris Imago-beautiful, fully-grown butterfly

Discussion:
1. What is metamorphosis?

2. How does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly? Evaluation:
Participation in play during the culminating activity.

Writing: Create a butterfly shaped poetry book Materials: construction
paper, heavy paper, crayons, colored pencils or markers, pencil,
scissors, stapler Read the poems "The Caterpillar" by Christina G.
Rossetti and "Caterpillars" by Aileen Fisher. Create a butterfly shaped
book. Have students trace enough copies of the butterfly pattern to use
as book pages. Provide each student with a copy of the pattern for the
cover. Have students create their own caterpillar and butterfly poems
and do illustrations on each page. Combine the finished pages and staple
them together along one edge. Share the poems with the class. "The
Caterpillar" by Christina G. Rossetti Brown and furry Caterpillar in a
hurry; Take your walk To the shady leaf or stalk.

May no toad spy you, May the little birds pass by you; Spin and die, To
live again a butterfly.

"Caterpillars" by Aileen Fisher What do caterpillars do? Nothing much
but chew and chew.

What do caterpillars know? Nothing much but how to grow.

They just eat what by and by Will make them be a butterfly,

But that is more than I can do However much I chew and chew.

Discussion:
1. How are the two poems similar? How are the two poems different?
2. What does a caterpillar look like?

3. What does a caterpillar like to eat?

4. What does a butterfly look like?

5. What does a butterfly like to eat?

Evaluation: Participation in discussion and individual poetry books.

Math: Materials: Variety of cut fruits, large writing chart Read The
Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Bring various fruits to the
classroom. Have the students classify the fruits according to shape,
size, color and number. Create a fruit graph to categorize by color and
number with the top column being red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, gree
n and the vertical column being the numbers one through ten.

Discussion:
1. Most of the fruits are which color?

2. Which colors have the same number of fruits?

3. How many fruits are there all together?

4. Were any colors left out? Which colors?

5. Name some other fruits that were not brought to class. Tell what
colors they are.

Divide students into groups of four and give each group an assortment of
fruits. In their journals, have the students create a graph to record
the following information on each fruit: Taste, feel, sound, smell,
look, and name of fruit. Have each group share their findings.
Evaluation: Observation of participation during activity and individual
fruit graphs.

ANTS:

Related Literature/Writing Activity: Read Chris Van Allsburg's Two Bad
Ants. Observe how ordinary objects look from an ant's perspective.
Discuss what your homes and classroom might look like to the bugs that
enters them. Have students illustrate and write on the theme pattern a
simple story about a bug's adventure in a classroom or home and include
this in their insect journal.

Discussion:
1. How do things look from an ant's perspective? Are things big or
small?

2. Describe what your home would look like to an ant.

3. Describe what your classroom would look like to an ant.

Evaluation: Observation of participation and individual insect journal
entries.

Drama/Music: Ant Chant First point out that all insects have three body
parts and six legs. Then divide students into group of three to form
ants: the first person is the head, the second person is the middle
(thorax), and the third person is the stomach (abdomen). Have the second
and third student place their hands on the shoulders of the child in
front of them. Students practice walking together in rhythm, slowly
chanting "left, right, left, right..." until their steps are together.
Next, they try marching to the Ant Chant. Students take turns being the
leader. Optional: They can make up their own chants. "Ant Chant"
(slowly) Left and right, left and right, Ants work hard all day and
night. Left and right, left and right, Don't get left, step just right.
(repeat)

Discussion:
1. What is an ant colony?

2. Show a diagram of an ant's anatomy. Name the various parts of an ant
body.

3. How many body parts does an ant have? How many legs? Evaluation:
Observation of participation.

Math: Ant problems Write some ant story problems on the board for
students to solve such as: 16 ants on a log, 7 fell off. How many are
left? 5 ants, 2 ants, 6 ants. How many altogether? 13 ants in the nest.
6 ants went out of the nest. How many ants were left in the nest? Have
the students develop three story problems of their own.

Evaluation: Observation of participation.

BEES:

Related Literature/Discussion: Read the Bouncing Bug book Bee by David
Hawcock aloud to the class. Explain the different parts of a bee and the
various roles of a bee within a hive.

Discussion:
1. The roles of a bee within a hive including:

a. Cleaner- Her eyes are covered with hairs so she uses her antennae to
guide her in cleaning and polishing cells and keeping brood warm.

b. Nurse bees- Mixes pollen and honey to feed to older larva. She feeds
young larva. She produces royal jelly.

c. Queen attendant- Cleans and feeds queen.

d. Packers-Stores pollen brought by field bees. They pound it down and
press it into solid mass by butting it with their heads.

e. Builders- Have developed wax glands. They hang and wait for wax to
ooze from glands to form honeycomb cells.

f. Trashman- Removes foreign material from honeycomb.

g. Ventilator-Only needed when combs are in danger of melting.

h. Control bees- They boss the queen and direct work out the colony.

i. Guard bees- Has sting glands full of venom ready for any intruders.

j. Scout- Seek out nectar sources.

k. Collectors- Gather nectar, pollen, water and propols for hive use.

l. Robbers- Take honey from weaker hives when needed.

Evaluation: Observation of participation in discussion.

Special Guest: Material: Honey, crackers, breads and fruit drinks Invite
a Beekeeper to speak to the class. Have he/she bring beehives to show
and handle. Discuss the roles of a bee in a hive. Have the beekeeper
show what they wear when working with the bees and have them demonstrate
how they retrieve the honey. Have the class taste the honey on crackers
and bread.

Discussion:
1. What does a beekeeper wear?

2. What are the roles of a bee in a hive?

Evaluation: Observation of participation.

Art: Materials: Fingerpaints, drawing paper, cover-ups, cassette and
tape player Play a recording of "The Flight of A Bumblebee" and have
students finger-paint pictures while they listen to the music.

Discussion:
1. When a bee is flying, what does it see?

2. Where does a bee like to fly?

3. What noise does a bee make? How?

4. How does a bee move?

5. If you were a bee, where would you like to go? What would you like to
land on?

Evaluation: Observation of participation and participation in
fingerpainting.

Music: Materials: Musical instruments, pots, metal lids, wooden blocks,
kazoos Provide students with a variety of musical instruments or objects
that can be used to make sounds (pots, metal lids, wooden blocks, etc.).
Have students perform the following kinds of movements and sounds. Buzz
like a bee. Chirp like a cricket. Zoom like a dragonfly. Wiggle like
mosquito larvae. Jump like a flea. Inch along like a caterpillar. Break
out of a cocoon like a butterfly.

Discussion:
1. What is it like to break out of a cocoon?

2. What is it like to buzz like a bee or chirp like a cricket?

3. How can musical instruments make insect sounds?

4. How does it feel to move like a bee? A butterfly? A flea?

Evaluation: Observation of participation with musical instruments and
discussion.

LADYBUGS:

Related Literature/Art Activity: Materials: Markers, crayons, colored
pencils, paper Read to the class More Bugs in Boxes by David A. Carter.
Encourage children to draw their own make-believe bug on a theme
pattern. Suggest that they give it a funny name and write (or dictate) a
funny fact about it. For example: The Flider: A Flider is a spider with
wings. It can catch flies in mid-air!

Discussion:
1. If you could be any kind of bug, real or make believe, what would you
be?

2. What would you do during the day? At night?

3. What is the craziest thing you'd do as an insect?

Evaluation: Informal observation of participation and bug drawings.

Math: Ladybug Spot Game Materials: Ladybug shapes, dot stickers Pass out
ladybug shapes on paper. Have students add dot stickers to the pattern
or color black dots on the pattern. (The number of dots will be
determined by the math facts you are teaching.) Organize teams and pass
out a ladybug to each player. Call out a number. The teams race to group
players whose ladybug dots equal the number called. Score points for
correct answers.

Variations:
1. Specify a number that must be included in the total. Example: "The
number is 9. You must use a 3 in your group."

2. Select students to demonstrate word problems. Have them hold ladybugs
with the number of dots specified in the problem while another student
writes the equation on the blackboard.

Discussion:
1. How many spots would there be in Mike's and Jenny's ladybugs landed
on a leaf?

2. How many spots would be left it Jenny's ladybug flew away?

Evaluation: Observation of participation.

Related Literature/Feelings: Materials: "Ladybug cards", crayons,
markers, colored pencils Read aloud The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.
Point out the facial expressions at the beginning and the end of the
story. Talk about how faces show feelings. To reinforce this concept,
the students can play a game. Make cards with ladybugs showing different
expressions such as grouchy, happy, sleepy, scared, bored, and sad. For
each student, reproduce the cards on sturdy paper. Have students color
and cut out each card. Working in pairs or teams, the students place the
cards face down. The first player draws a card and makes his face show
the feeling of the ladybug on the card. The other player(s) try to guess
which feeling is on the card. Students take turn making faces.

Discussion:
1. What does sad look like?

2. What does happy look like?

3. What does bored look like?

4. What does scared look like?

5. How do faces show feelings?

Evaluation: Observation of participation.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: Bug Release: Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home! For
an exciting and ecologically appropriate activity, release praying
mantises, ladybugs and butterflies to provide some benefits to man. You
can purchase these beneficial insects as eggs sacs, caterpillars, and
ladybugs from Insect Lore Products at 1-800-LIVE BUG. Find an
appropriate area to release these insects and coordinate your release
with an Earth Day or Arbor Day celebration. Butterfly and ladybug kits:
Order from Insect Lore Products, Inc., P.O. Box 1535, Shafer, California
93263 or The Nature Company 1-800-227-1114, $25.

Discussion:
1. How do insects help us?

2. What can we do to protect the lives of insects?

3. How can we promote the lives of insects?

4. Where do you think the insects we released will go?

Metamorphosis Play: Have students perform the play created earlier in
the unit.

Bug Bash: Party time! Have a bug bash to finish your unit! Take a picnic
of Ants on a Log and Cracker Critters (recipes below). Make bug juice
and call it "butterfly nectar" and serve it in a flower petal cup with a
curly straw. Go someplace new for your outing. Form ants and centipedes
in a bug brigade and say the Ant Chant as you walk. Compare and discuss
bug journals and what they've students have learned during the unit.
Refreshments: Cracker Critters: Assorted crackers Fillings: Pretzel
sticks Peanut Butter Vegetable strips Spreadable cheese Carrot circles
Cream cheese with pineapple Olives Cream cheese with ranch dressing
Spread a filling on the cracker and use the vegetables and pretzels to
form legs, heads and spots. Encourage children to create names and stori
es for the critters.

Ants on a Log: Logs: Spreads: Ants: Celery sticks peanut butter raisins
Carrot sticks flavored cream cheese nuts Pretzel rods cheese spread
jelly beans Put a layer of spread on the "log" and place "ants" on top.
Sing "The Ants Go Marching" as you make the logs.

Bug Juice in a Flower Petal Cup: Serve this delicious drink in a flower
petal cup with a straw and drink just like a butterfly does, sipping
nectar through a tube-shaped tongue. Juice: 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup
cranberry juice Up to 1 tablespoon honey Mix the juices together, and
taste first for sweetness before adding honey. Stir the honey until
dissolved. Cup Materials: Scissors, colorful construction paper,
measuring tape, large-size plastic cup, tape, plastic drinking straw To
make flower petal cup: Cut a strip of paper that's 3 inches wide and
long enough to circle the rim of the cup, plus 1 inch. (Use the
measuring tape for this.) On one edge of the strip, cut scallops about 2
1/4 inches long, leaving a 3/4-inch border on the other edge. Shape each
scallop into separate petals. Wrap the uncut edge of the petal strip
around the plastic cup, and anchor it with tape. Fold the petals out one
by one. Then pour in the nectar and serve it with a curly straw.

Bug Club Awards: Present students with award certificates for all their
hard work on the insect unit. Suggestions include: Bug Buddy Badge,
Entomologist Award, and Official Insect Inspector Present a magnifying
glass to the classroom for them to use during the year whenever the are
ready to inspect bugs.

EVALUATION:
1. The main evaluation for this unit will be the individual insect
journals.
2. The teacher will informally assess participation by completing a
daily log and
checklist on each student.
3. Participation in the metamorphosis play, bug release and bug bash.
4. Oral presentation.
5. Bug Club activities completed.
RELATED LITERATURE:
Carle, Eric. The Honeybee and the Robber. New York: Philomel Books.
1981.
__________. The Hungry Caterpillar.
Carter, David A. Alpha Bugs. Intervisual Books, Inc. 1994.
Carter, David A. More Bugs in a Box. Harper Collins.
Deluise, Dom. Charlie The Caterpillar. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1990.
Evans, Katherine. The Ladybug Who Couldn't Fly Home. Chicago: Wilcox &
Follett
Company. 1945.
Facklam, Margery. Big Bug Book. Little, Brown and Company. 1994.
French, Vivian. Caterpillar Caterpillar. Candlewick Press. 1993.
Garelick, May. Where Does The Butterfly Go When It Rains. Scholastic.
1961.
Gibbons, Gail. Monarch Butterfly. Holiday House. 1989.
Hariton, Anca. Butterfly Story. E.P. Dutton. 1995.
Hawcock, David and Lee Montgomery. Bee. Random House.
Hawes, Judy. Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home. Thomas Y. Crowell.
Hobermann, Mary Ann. Bugs. New York: The Viking Press. 1976.
Lewis, Naomi. The Butterfly Collector. Prentice Hall, 1979.
Philpot, Lorna & Graham. Amazing Anthony Ant. Random House. 1994.
Ryder, Joanne. Where Butterflies Grow. E.P. Dutton. 1989.
Seymour, Peter. Insects: A Close Up Look. MacMillan Publishing Company,
Inc.
1984.
Souza, D.M. Insects Around the House. Carolrhoda Books, Inc. 1991.
__________. Insects in the Garden. Carolrhoda Books, Inc. 1991.
Watts, Barrie. Ladybug. New Jersey: Silver Burdett Press. 1987.
Van Allsburg, Chris. Two Bad Ants. Houghton Mifflin.
SOFTWARE/CD-ROM PRODUCTS:

Bug Adventure. Knowledge Adventure, Inc. 1944. (CD-ROM - DOS &
MS-Windows 3.1)

Carter, David. How Many Bugs in a Box? CD-ROM. Simon & Schuster
Interactive,1995. Includes counting, sorting, sequencing, memory skills,
hand-eye coordination, visual perception.

Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Nature. CD-ROM. DK Multimedia, 1995. The
essential multimedia reference guide to the natural world.

McKissack, Patricia & Frederick. Big Bug Alphabet Book. Milliken. 1993.
(CD- ROM- Mac)
Multimedia Bug Book. Workman Swifte. 1995. (CD-ROM - MPC or MAC).
VIDEO TAPES:

Aunt Merriwether's Adventures in the Backyard. Sea Studios. Nature
Company, 1992.

Bugs. Reading Rainbow. Narrated by Levar Burton. (approximately 30
minutes)

Insects. Eyewitness, 1994. Written by BBC Wildvision, BBC Lionheart
Television. (approximately 35 minutes)

AUDIO CASSETTES:

Hayes, Joe. Mariposa Mariposa. Trails West Publishing, 1988.

Murphy, Jane Lawliss. Songs About Insects, Bug & Squiggly Things. Kimbo
Educational, 1993.

OTHER MATERIALS: Markle, Sandra. "Creepy, Crawly Bugs". Parenting, April
1997. Pg 70+. Planet Dexter, a Division of Addison Wesley Longman
Publishing Company. Planet Ant Kit. $15. Schatz, Dennis. Build Your Own
Bugs Book & Kit. Andrews and McMeel. 1995.

INTERNET RESOURCES:
Betty the Bug Lady (Entomologist)
http://www.nj.com/yucky/betty/index.html
Bruce Ithier's World of Insects
http://www.worldbutterfly.com
Mike's Really Lame Insect Page
http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4gmt/mik4.htm
Stinging Caterpillars
http://hammock.ifas.ufl.edu/tmp/stingcat.html
Cockroaches
http://www.ex.ac.uk/~gjlramel/roach.html
Cockroaches
http://www.nj.com/yucky/roaches/index.html
Wonderful World of Insects
http://www.ex.ac.uk/~gjlramel/welcome.html
The Bug Club
http://www.ex.ac.uk/bugclub/welcome.html
The Internet Classroom on Bees
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/ic/index.html
Insect Lesson Plans, Songs, Etc.
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons23/insectsounds.h
tml
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons23/insectshelpful
.html
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons23/insectgrowth.h
tml
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons23/insect.html
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/groveland/insect.proj/songs.html
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/groveland/insect.proj/insects.html
Eric Carle Website
http://www.eric-carle.com
BULLETIN BOARD IDEAS:

Who Lives In Your Garden? Bulletin Board: Create a garden collage from a
"bug's eye" view. On a sun shape, display the poem "Who Lives in Your
Garden?"(below) or another favorite poem. Paper twist makes good leave
and grass, especially when reinforced down the center with lightweight
wire. Three-dimensional rocks can be made with burlap-covered cardboard
or crumpled brown paper. Gift wrap or wallpaper for plants and flowers.
Attach some of the pieces at one end so they may be lifted to reveal
insects, slugs, and other hidden creatures. Add students' creations as
they work on this unit. Write questions along the base such as what
lives under a rock? What lives under a leaf? What lives in the grass?

Poem "Who Lives in Your Garden" by Kimberlee Graves: Who lives in your
garden? Did you ever peek and see All the wiggly, wormy wild things That
beneath a rock might be? Did you see a flash of wings When against a
leaf you brushed? Did you hear some insect music When the people voices
hushed?

If you are very quiet The next time you're outside, You'll have a chance
to spy your guests Before they fly or hide. A secret timy world lives
Down where the green things grow. Who lives in your garden? I think you
soon will know.

Growing and Changing Bulletin Board: To introduce the concept that
people, plants and animals change as they grow. Display photo cards and
magazine pictures of seed/full-grown plant; egg/baby bird/adult bird/
and egg/tadpole/frog. Talk about how each changes as it grows.

Bug Parts Bulletin Board: Enlarge the diagram of an ant, grasshopper,
bee, caterpillar, butterfly and ladybug. Identify the various parts.
Display appropriate papers from the unit.

Insect Book Interactive Bulletin Board: Display the insect books created
by the teams.

Ants Thematic Unit by Teacher Created Materials
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576901130/kinderkorner

ANTS

Ants work hard from day to day.
They don't have time to run and play.
They carry things ten times their weight.
And digging tunnels is their fate.

SILLY ANTS

Can you believe the nerve of those ants?
Crawling up the leg of my pants.
When one stung me, I started to run.
Picnics, I though, are meant to be fun.
But I was brave; I kept my cool.
I jumped right in a swimming pool.
You can bet I took care of him.
The silly ant; he couldn't swim!

ANT PLACES

Ants in the sugar,
Ants in the tea,
Ants on the playground,
Ants stinging me.

Ants on the sidewalk,
Ants in the cracks,
Ants in a tunnel,
Digging for snacks.

Ants in the kitchen,
Ants in the drawers,
Coming through windows,
And through the doors.

Ants on the carpet,
Ants on my feet,
Ants on the table,
Eating what's sweet.

Ants on a teaspoon,
Ants on a plate,
Ants back to the nest,
It's getting late.

Ants up in the air,
Ants on the ground,
Anysy ants, ants, ants,
Ants all around!

1. Read the Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. Give each child a frame that reads at ___________ o'clock the very grouchy ladybug _____________. Share them and put them into a class book.
2. After learning about ladybugs, make a ladybug snack. For each student you will need one half of an English muffin, cream cheese that has been dyed red with food coloring and raisins. Spread the colored cream cheese onto the muffin half, add black raisin dots and eat the delicious lady bug.
3. Imagine what life might be like living life as small as an ant. Write a shared class story about what school would be like if they all became so tiny!
4. After writing your ant story eat some Ants on a log. You will need one celery stalk or pretzel rod, peanut butter and raisins for each student. Spread the peanut butter on your celery or pretzel, add your raisin ants and eat! Your class will never have thought ants could taste so good!
5. If you teach near a park, take your class to watch black ants and their activity. Record it on a data sheet. If you bring some jelly and peanutbutter put some on the ground. Guess which one the ants will like. Check to see if your guess was right.
6. I really think it is a neat idea to have an ant farm at a bug center students can record and share what they see.
7. Discuss the importance of bees. Make a class K,W,L chart all about bees and the jobs they do!
8. Have a honey sampling. (I find many different varieties pretty inexpensively at Marshalls and TJ MAXX) Make refridge biscuits for each child. Try different types of honey on top and have the kids use bee shaped papers to graph their favorite. Some we have tried include Lime ginger, sage honey, tangerine, Orange honey with grapefruit, Clover honey. It is neat to serve it with iced tea sweetened with what else? HONEY!
9. If you have access to a portion of a bee hive, leave it at a center with magnifying glasses, etc. Let the students draw what they see.
10. After reading There was an old lady. Have the kids trace a large woman shape and the things she ate. I make the dog bigger then the cat, etc., etc. Then we glue them in the tummy. Or you can leave them unglued, attach them with a paper clip to the lady and have the children retell the story.
11. After reading Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear, we make a huge class timeline of the story. We paint water color pictures of each character and glue them in the correct order.
12. Another nice thing to have at your center along is a clear container with rocks on the bottom, with sand and moist soil. Put an earth worm inside. Allow each student to predict what the worm will do. Then cover the jar with black paper for one week. Then remove the paper and record your findings.
13. Have each student choose an insect to learn more about, use the sites I have listed (they have links to many more sites!) and books to learn 3 facts about their bugs. Also make a paper mache model of your bug!
Bugfood I: Insect-themed Food

compiled by Stephanie Bailey
Entomology Extension Specialist

------------------------------------------------------------------------
This unit includes several recipes for insect-themed foods (no insects are eaten). Buggy recipes may enliven a party, 4-H demonstration on insects, or an insect or nutrition unit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANTS-ON-A-LOG
Slice stalks of celery, and spread peanut butter in the groove. Sprinkle with black raisins.
Variations: 1) aphids-on-a-log (sunflower seeds), 2) gnats-on-a-log (currents).
ANT TREATS
Use cinnamon twists (glazed donut-like pastries formed into the number eight) as the insect body, stick bendable plastic straws in the sides (three on each side) to be the legs, and they should look like giant ants. Use 'donut holes' for ant eggs.
BEE BREAD

* 1 cup corn syrup
* 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 1 1/4 cup powdered milk

Combine ingredients, then roll into 1-2" balls, then roll the balls in powdered sugar to keep them from sticking together.
FLY-IN-THE-BATTER DESSERTS

* Fly-in-the-batter cookies: Make chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, adding raisins (flies) or chocolate sprinkles (gnats).

* Fly-in-the-batter pudding: Vanilla pudding with raisins.

* Cow Pies: Chocolate pudding with slivered almonds or coconut sprinkles (maggots). Place a few plastic fly adults on top.

BUG BLOOD or BUG JUICE
Mix a yellow drink (citrus pop or lemonade) with a blue one (kool-aid). You'll end up with a radioactive shade of green.
CATERPILLAR IN A COCOON
1) Use a bundt cake & filling recipe or box, but bake in cupcake tins (greased-do not use cupcake papers). When cool, dip or cover with a thin layer of frosting, and then roll in or sprinkle coconut on top.
2) Soften (but don't melt!) caramel candies, coat with melted chocolate and/or roll in nuts/sprinkles/coconut.
BUTTERFLY MOUTHPARTS

* 1 3-oz. pkg. flavored gelatin
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Grease an 8-9" square pan VERY LIGHTLY. Mix boxed gelatin (any flavor) with warm water in a 1 1/2 quart size bowl and microwave 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to dissolve completely. Add marshmallows, microwave 1 minute more or until marshmallows are puffed and almost melted. SLOWLY stir mixture until marshmallows are melted. Allow creamy layer to float to the top-don't mix it all together. Pour mixture into pan. Refrigerate until set (about 1 hr.). Loosen edges with a knife. Roll up tightly like a jelly roll, then (with seam-side down) cut into 1/2" slices with a sharp knife. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
BUTTERFLY SNACKS
Use pretzels as butterfly wing frames, and stick them together with softened caramel candy or peanut butter. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
CHOCOLATE PRETZEL SPIDER
Stick two oreo cookies together with chocolate frosting. Make 8 curved legs by breaking bow-tied pretzels, and attach them around the middle of the spider by sticking them into the chocolate frosting. Use M & M's for eyes on the front, 'glued' with frosting.
As a variation, use sandwich crackers, instead of sandwich cookies, stuck together with peanut butter.
SPIDER CAKE

* 1 boxed cake mix
* Black Frosting
* 1 box green gelatin
* 8 black licorice sticks
* 8 gumdrops, M & M's or other round candy for eyes

Prepare any boxed cake mix. Bake it in 2 metal bowls, 1 bigger than the other. Once unmolded, cut the bigger one (the"body") in half, horizontally. CAREFULLY scoop out an adequate cavity in each half. FILL with well-whipped set green Jello, and reattach the halves. Frost both cakes black, arrange on serving platter. Use licorice sticks as legs. Use 2 BIG green gumdrops and 6 little ones as eyes. When the cake is cut into, it spurts green goop, just like a real spider when stepped on.
Variations:
1) Add a red hourglass to the back for a Black Widow.
2) Substitute pistachio pudding instead of green jello.
Black cake frosting: add blue food coloring to chocolate frosting or purchase black food coloring from a specialty store.
"DIRT" CAKE

* 1 20-oz. pkg. chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
* 1/2 stick margarine
* 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 3-1/2 c. milk
* 2 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
* 1 12-oz. tub whipped topping
* 1/4 c. mini marshmallows (for "beetle grubs")
* 1 plastic flower pot
* 1 plastic flower
* plastic ants/beetles
* gummy worms

Cream margarine, sugar, cream cheese. In another bowl mix milk and pudding. Let sit until thick. Stir in cool whip, mix with cream cheese mixture. Make sure pot holes are plugged. Put 1/3 of cookie crumbs in bottom of pot. Add 1/2 of cream cheese mixture. Repeat cookie crumbs and cream cheese mixture, adding some gummy worms and the mini marshmallows. Add extra crumbs on top (to look like dirt). Refrigerate over night. Add flower(s), plastic bugs, and the rest of the gummy worms on top. Use a trowel to serve.

These are some really neat sites on bugs.
Wasn't sure how many of these you already have.
:) me

http://www.yucky.com/roaches/ Yucky Bug World
http://www.yucky.com/teachercenter/index.ssf?/bugs/index.html#k2
Teacher Guide
http://www.yucky.com/teachercenter/index.ssf?/bugs/index.html#k2
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/images.html Images of
Insects and their Relatives
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/images.html
http://www.insect-world.com/ Insect-World Front Page
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/images.html
http://www.entsoc.org/educate.htm Experience Entomology
http://www.entsoc.org/educate.htm this is really cool
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/ythfacts/entyouth.htm
University of Kentucky Department of Entomology
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/ythfacts/entyouth.htm
http://www.eagle.ca/%7Ematink/insects.html MY INSECTS PAGE
http://www.eagle.ca/%7Ematink/insects.html
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/Misc/InsectsAsFood.html Insects as Food
- Insect Recipes
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/Misc/InsectsAsFood.html
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/
Iowa State University Entomology Image Gallery
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/

Butterflies Spiders Other Bugs

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