A Hands-on Guide to Hawaiʻi’s Insects
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Purpose: This curriculum is designed to communicate:
- What insects are and what they look like.
- What insects, what eats them, and where they live.
- How insects undergo metamorphosis as a part of their life cycle.
- How social insects work together and that each individual is important.
Rationale: Insects are everywhere and familiar to nearly everyone. Most children appear to have a natural curiosity about insects. This unit reinforces students’ curiosities by demonstrating the uniqueness of insects’ appearance and lifestyle. Lessons emphasize the diversity of insects and how they live – including what they eat, what eats them, and how they change (metamorphose) as they grew. By studying insects in detail through the inquiry process, students are encouraged to develop questions and solutions that promote insect conservation.
- Unit Overview
- Lesson 1: Insects and Bugs
- Lesson 2: Ant Bodies
- Lesson 3: Insect Diets
- Lesson 4: Food Chain
- Lesson 5: Insect Homes
- Lesson 6: Butterfly Life Cycle
- Lesson 7: Honeybee Hives
- Lesson 8: Insect Conservation
This unit was created and piloted by Lori Tango and Heather Hand