Entomology For Kids - Page 2
© Jennifer James
On these days, our whole family spends a great deal of time picking up the insects, examining the specimens and looking intently at their legs, segmented bodies, their antennae and beautiful wings that have remarkably remained intact after all of these years. We look at them with our own eyes and then through a magnifying glass. We look at them from every angle and even imagine the sounds that they once made, especially the cicadas.
As homeschoolers, my husband and I thrive on hands-on experiments. Most of the projects and lessons that we devise are extremely inexpensive and can even be free as is representative of our insect collection. Utilizing the glory of nature has proven to be a cost-free approach to teaching our daughters about their little insect friends.
What adds to the excitement of this project is when we check out books on insects from our local library. We are then able to find the exact names of the insects and piece together what a particular insect's life would have been like while it was alive. The books let us know what type of foods they ate, what their eggs looked like, and where they would have most likely been found. Most of the books also give splendid close-up color photographs of the insects letting our little ones know that indeed what they are holding is the exact insect in the picture.
Even for small children, the wonder of bringing nature indoors can be quite exciting and it does not necessarily have to be insects that you and your family collect and examine. It can be various wild flowers, plants or even leaves. Your family can even make a lesson out of observing the various positions of the moon and the reasons why it changes. The key, however, is making sure that you introduce and nourish you child's love for nature. It will serve them well as they grow older and give them a head start for freshman Biology class.
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