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If you thought bugs were for the birds, this swarm of activities will change your mind! Included: Ten activities for teaching and learning with bugs.

Q. What's the difference between a fly and a mosquito?
A. A mosquito can fly, but a fly can't mosquito.
       -- Bug Jokes

Do your students know the real difference between a fly and a mosquito? between an insect and a spider? between a true bug and a bedbug? Maybe your students think all bugs are alike. There is no better time than summertime to show them the error of their ways. There's no better way to do it than with today's Education World activities!

Do you have a favorite bug activity or lesson plan? Share it on today's message board

If you feel a little squeamish about your lack of bug know-how, you might want to begin your own buggy adventure with a visit to the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology. At Using Insects in the Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Six-Legged Science, you'll learn everything you need to know to introduce your students to the wonderful world of bugs.

Now for this week's bug activities -- each activity is briefly described below. Click on the title of the activity to view the complete lesson plan.

• Be on the Lookout!
  Create "Wanted" posters for destructive bugs.

• Getting the Travel Bug
  Develop a travel brochure to persuade an insect to come for a visit.

• Whose Head Is It?
  Complete bug puzzles to learn about the anatomy of bugs and explore ways of classifying bugs.

• Bug-Go
  Play a bingo game. Match insect pictures with insect names.

• Bug Me While I'm Eating!
  Explore the nutritional value of insects as food, and compare the nutritional value to your favorite foods.

• Say It With Flowers!
  Learn about pollination and identify insects most likely to pollinate certain kinds of plants.

• A Bug's Eye View?
  Examine insect drawings created by M. C. Escher, and create your own insect drawings.

• Too Many Bugs to Count
  Create a bar graph showing the number of different insect species.

• The Bug That Lost the War
  Write a skit about the impact of insects on the Civil War.

• Bug Watch
  Create a field journal about the bugs that live near your school.

Linda Starr
Education World®
Copyright © 2000 Education World

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