Native Insects
A Hands-on Guide to Hawaii’s Native Insects and Their Unique Adaptations
Click on the lessons to the left to download curriculum in individual sections or download the whole unit at the bottom. The power points combine with the unit preceding them. Some of the files are large however. Also see some more examples of student work. Read on for a description of the native insects unit or download the unit introduction for a complete description of the lesson format, rubrics, assessment, and content.
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Purpose: This curriculum is designed to communicate:
- Basic anatomy and life cycles of insects.
- How an organisms’ body structure contribute to their ability to survive and reproduce.
- How organisms’ interact and depend on one another and that energy moves through a food web.
Koa bugs in the classroom with student taking a closer look.
Rationale: Insects are by far the most numerous, most diverse, and could be viewed as the most ecologically important terrestrial creatures on the planet. They also provide a food source for many, are decomposers of organic materials, plant pollinators, and producers of important products like honey and silk. In addition, insects provide an opportunity for students to learn about biological processes inside the classroom.
In Hawaii, Coleotichus blackburniae, or the Koa bug is an endemic species that can be brought into the classroom for students to learn about organisms’ structures and functions, and insect life cycle. This curriculum uses hands-on activities to promote interactive learning about Hawaii’s insects.
Hawaii Content and Performance Standards (HCPSIII) Addressed: 7.1 Scientific Investigation, 7.2 Nature of Science, 7.3 Organisms and the Environment, 7.4 Structure and Function in Organisms
Unit Concept Map
Student recording information about structure and function, molting nymph in the classroom.
This unit was created and piloted by Steve Souder and Lily Edmon.