Insect Study

In the classroom, we have been considering animal families as we work to decide whether certain animals are... or are not... insects.

Insects are so different that we need some rules to understand what fits in this category.  A ladybug and a praying mantis seem to have little in common.  Did you know that insects have 3 body parts?  And six legs?  All of them do.

And some insects have wings (2 sets) and antennae.

Exploring pictures of the many different kinds of insects amazes us!  Some are so beautiful and some are so unusual.

Using the drawing skills that are blossoming at this time in the year, children work to show what they know about 3 body parts and 6 legs.  They are working to show that the wings and legs grow out of the thorax (the middle body part) and that the antennae grow out of the head.  Check out the drawings that children have made on the clipboards.  Some of this understanding is evident in the drawings.  Some children are still working on remembering these facts as they draw.

Practicing these categories of animal families (a ladybug is not a fish or a bird or an arachnid!) helps us learn skills in the area of logic.  If all insects have 6 legs, a centipede cannot be an insect if it has more legs than 6! A worm is not an insect because it does not have any legs!

Early this week, we agreed that we should allow our ladybugs to be released into nature where there is a better environment for them.  Thank you, ladybugs, for showing us so many facts about insects!