Materials
long hoses
plastic firefighter hats
donated firefighter overalls and boots
suspenders
walkie-talkies
steering wheel and chairs
shiny badges
short stepstool
Instructions
1. Show the children a picture of an insect and ask them to describe what they see.
2. Write the children's observations on a whiteboard. Point out the head, and
discuss features such as eyes, mandibles, and antennae. Now, have the children
focus on the thorax and teach that an insect's six legs grow out of the thorax.
3. Look at the insect's abdomen and let the children talk about what they see.
They might notice hairs or special coloring on this part of the bug body. Teach
that stingers are part of the abdomen. Has anyone ever been stung by a bee?
Write all the new words on the board for the children to read.
4. Now, pass a bug book (see suggestions below) around the circle and have each
child choose a picture.
5. Have the child point out the three body parts and other features. Note the
wide variety of shapes in insect bodies; three body sections will still be visible.
6. Finally, show the children how to roll a small ball of clay to make an insect
head, a medium ball for the thorax, and a larger ball for the abdomen.
7. Demonstrate how to roll six small cylinders for the legs, and assemble the bug
body. Complete with antennae, eyes, and jaws.
8. Also consider using clay tools to press patterns into the body. Children might
choose a particular type of insect to recreate in clay.
Teacher - to - Teacher Tip
* Consider asking the children to point out the similarities and differences
between human and insect bodies.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Can the children say how many body sections and how many legs an insect
has?
* Are the children able to make basic insect body shapes out of the clay?
