Insect Investigations Virtual School Field Trip
Grades 1-4
What makes an animal an insect? What role do insects play in our world and how are they important to people? In our remotely accessible video students will become entomologists with a Hitchcock educator to adventure into the woods and search for insects. Learn how to identify an insect, where to find them, and the tools you’ll need to collect them. Plus, learn a ton of cool insect facts along the way! We will also come together as a class in a live interactive stream to share our experiences with insects, observe live teaching insects close up, learn about their complex life cycles, and participate in identification games and quizzes.
Field Trip Requirements
Prior to the live meeting with Hitchcock educator Aemelia Thompson, students should complete the following:
- Watch the pre-field trip video
- Use the Insect Scavenger Hunt to look for insects near them. -OR- Go out into nature and look for insects and record what they find.
During the live meeting, we will:
- Discuss the pre-field trip video and insects found by students
- Meet, observe, and draw*, one of the Hitchcock Center teaching insects
- Explore insect life cycles and metamorphosis with videos and images
- Participate in an Insect or Arthropod sorting game
*Please have students come to the meeting with a paper and drawing utensil.
Further Resources
These are not required for the field trip but simple extra resources you might enjoy.
MAKE
This is a great DIY lesson for kids to make their own butterfly nets. We do this with kids at the Hitchcock Center. We use these paint bag strainers rather than fabric
WATCH
Here you’ll find a library of short videos on insects from National Geographic Kids
READ
Here is a list of fictional children’s books about insects. The accompanying links are where you can find read aloud videos of them on YouTube.
- The Grouchy Lady Bug – Eric Carl
- A Lonely FireFly – Eric Carl
- I Love Bugs – Emma Dodd
- Willbee the Bumble Bee
- Not So Small At All – Sandra Magsamen