Materials
chenille stems in assorted colors
pencil
plastic bin or shoebox
small plastic container
common objects to measure, such as a pencil, ruler,
crayon, book, and so on
images of caterpillars
Instructions
* Hang up or project pictures of the three insects.
What to Do
1. Walk around the children saying, "Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz!"
2. Once the all the children have heard you, discuss the sounds insects make.
3. Ask if they've ever had a fly or mosquito "bug" them. What were they doing?
4. Why do insects come around people? (food, clothing colors, odors)
5. With the children, act out the following poem:
A Very Noisy Mosquito by Terry Callahan
Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays
A very pesky fly
Buzzes around my head. (turn around
in a small circle)
I try to make it go away (wave hands
around head)
But hit myself instead! (say, "Ow!")
A very noisy mosquito
Hums with a buzzy drone, (hum)
I try to catch it with my hand
(clap hands together)
And it leaves me alone.
A very busy bee stops by
To check me out. (look up and down)
I guess it knows I'm not a flower
(shake head and/or finger "no")
Because it does not hang about.
(wave goodbye)
Teacher - to - Teacher Tip
* Humming can be challenging for some children. If it is challenging for your
class to hum, use kazoos instead.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Ask the whole class to name an insect you discussed. What does it do?
* Make a worksheet with the three insects on it. Include pictures of a flower,
some food, and a person. Ask the children to draw lines from each insect to
the picture(s) they feel each connects to (for example, the children could
connect the fly to food or a person, the bee to a flower, and the mosquito to
a person). Discuss their responses.
