Insect Observing

This STEM activity is suitable for preschool and elementary school levels. This activity is important for children to learn about the diversity of living creatures on our planet and to respect the right to life. Since this activity involves working directly with a living creature, it is crucial to pay attention to certain points.

Purpose of the Activity:

leaf To understand the diversity of living creatures on Earth,

leaf To recognize that every living being has a right to life,

leaf To ensure respect for all life rights,

leaf To have knowledge about living habitats and diversity,

leaf To develop children's skills in observation and filling out observation forms

First, the Story

Early in the morning, Tako opened his window and saw that it was a wonderful day outside. It was the first days of spring, and the weather was incredibly beautiful. The birds were chirping, the green leaves of the trees, and the newly blooming flowers were swaying in the wind. He called out to Ruka, but Ruka was still asleep. Tako went to the bathroom as usual, washed his hands and face, brushed his teeth, and then returned to his room to wake up Ruka. After Ruka washed his hands and face, they both sat down for breakfast. Tako saw his grandfather looking a bit sad and asked:

What’s wrong, Grandpa? Is there a problem?

It's nothing important, but the grasshoppers have infested the tomatoes I planted in the backyard. I don't know what to do.

Grasshoppers? Are there really that many grasshoppers?

Yes, there are a lot of grasshoppers this year. Grasshoppers are usually very calm insects and don’t go to crops, but we humans have disturbed nature's balance a lot, Tako. That's why there are so many grasshoppers this year, and they are harming our crops.

You’re absolutely right, Grandpa. We humans have no chance without nature. So what are we going to do, Grandpa? Is there a solution for this?

Actually, spraying would work, but I don't like using pesticides. Spraying not only kills grasshoppers but also the birds that feed on them, other harmless insects, and even ants. I don't think it's right to disturb nature's balance even more, Tako.

But does that mean they’re going to eat all our crops now?

Smoke can actually scare them away, but I don't know when they will feed or wake up. If I knew, I could go at just the right time and scare them away.

My dear Grandpa. I can actually help you with that.

How are you going to help?

I have an idea. Let's go, Ruka. We have some work to do today.

I know this look. We're going to do something again, aren't we, Tako?

You know me well, Ruka. Let's go. We really have a lot of work to do!

Tako immediately went to his room and put on his lab coat. They gathered a lot of materials. Ruka curiously asked what they were going to do, but Tako didn't answer. They went out to the garden and moved towards the back of the house and started the activity. Let's do the same activity with them, shall we?

Materials

Box Scissors Tape Sponge Bag Gloves Jar Natural Materials

Activity

Step I

For this activity, we need a medium-sized box. An empty shoe box is the ideal size. Cut a piece from the front part of the box as shown in the picture. Also, if there are lids on the top part, try to cut them neatly. You can get help from an adult for this step.

Step II

Now it's time to cover with a plastic bag. We need to cover the open parts of the box with a transparent plastic bag. Cut the bag and cut pieces large enough to cover the openings. Then, tape these pieces to cover the open parts of the box properly. Properly taping is important because we don't want our insect to escape, do we?

Step III

Make small holes on the sides of the box. The holes shouldn't be too big to prevent our insect from escaping.

We have covered all parts of the box, but where will we put the insect and other items inside? Let's create a door large enough for our hand to fit through. The door should be slightly larger than your hand. This way, we can easily place the insect and other items inside. Then we will tape this door as well.

Step IV

Now we can arrange our box in a way that the insect can live inside. Decorate it with various wood pieces, dried grass, and stones as you like. Place the sponge that we wet inside. Usually, insects like grasshoppers and ladybugs drown easily in water, so we put a water-soaked sponge inside instead of water. Our insect can drink water from there. Place a few slices of apples, bananas, or other fruits inside for the insect to eat. You can place two different fruits. Our insect will eat whichever it likes.

Step V

Now we can put on our gloves and start looking for insects. Look in the garden or places with plenty of plants. Maybe we can find a grasshopper or a ladybug. It's very important not to touch the insect, not for our health but because we might harm it. When you see a grasshopper, carefully place a jar over it, then try to place the lid from underneath. Some insects are very gentle. Insects like praying mantises or ladybugs can even be picked up by hand.

Step VI

When we return home, we can place our insect inside through the door we made earlier and tape the door shut. We have created a safe and nature-like environment for our insect. The insect will move, sleep, and feed inside. During this process, we can observe the insect for a maximum of 2 days. We can even check at various intervals and write down on a paper at what time the insect moves around in the box, eats, and drinks water.

If you have caught an insect and paid attention to its legs, you might have noticed that they are very hairy or spiky. These hairs allow insects to carry small plant parts necessary for plant seed production to every plant they walk on. Thus, plants produce and spread seeds. Without insects, there would be no plants, and without plants, no living beings could exist on earth.

At the end of the 2 days, we need to return the insect to where we found it. If you wish, you can catch another insect and observe it in the same way, taking notes again. What do you think? Maybe this time we will catch a grasshopper.

Attention!

Since this activity involves using a living creature, caution must be exercised throughout the activity.

Psychological research shows that fear of insects is a learned behavior. The teacher's behavior is very important to avoid creating or reinforcing this fear.

After the activity, the examined insect should be returned to its original location.

In the event that the insect/spider dies, the reason for its death and what was missing should be investigated. If the cause cannot be found, it should be clearly explained that living creatures cannot survive when taken from their natural habitats.

Evaluation Questions

leaf What kind of insect or spider did you catch?

leaf What could be a difference between an insect and a spider?

leaf Do you think the creature you caught has the right to live? Why? If not, why not?

leaf Does it have wings?

leaf Can you tell us at what time the insect/spider ate?

leaf Have you ever researched about this insect/spider?

leaf What would you like to tell us about this insect/spider?

leaf Does anyone among you fear insects/spiders?

Activity File

Scientific Concepts

Scientific concepts related to this activity include: Arthropods, Spiders, Arachnids, Invertebrates, Ecology, and Carbon Cycle. You can conduct your own research to discover interesting facts about these concepts!