96 Insects: Supplemental Guide PP | Pausing Point
insect, and why they would not draw a spider for this activity.
(Spiders have eight legs, rather than six like insects have.)Keeping Insects in the Classroom
Materials: Insects and their homes and food will vary.
You may wish to keep insects in the classroom for students
to observe and care for. Many insects are interesting and will
enhance the themes of this domain.
Note: Many insect species are available through science
catalogues such as Carolina Biological Supply. Before deciding
to keep or raise non-native species of insects, you may wish
to consider that it is important they not be released into the
environment, as they can disrupt the local ecosystem. You may
wish to donate them to another classroom or to a local science
museum.
Giant peppered roaches (Archimandrita tesselata) can be kept
successfully for long periods of time. These are attractive, large (2”
to 3”), and long-lived insects. They are not smelly, can be fed on
apples and cat chow, and are easily handled by students. Walking
sticks can be raised on oak leaves, roses, or romaine lettuce.
Praying mantises are less hardy, and because they are predators,
require more attention to keep them fed. Mealworms can be raised
in small containers and their life cycle observed. They are easy
to feed on oats and potato slices, though the oat substrate and
the potatoes need to be replaced periodically to prevent mold.
You may be able to fi nd Monarch butterfl y caterpillars and watch
the amazing and beautiful progression as each forms its chrysalis
and then emerges as an adult Monarch. There are many enjoyable
insects for students to observe. You may wish to do more research
on keeping these insects or others in your classroom.Insect Research
Materials: Insects Journals; trade books; other resources as
needed
Have students check their Insects Journals to see if there are any
questions they have about insects that have not been answered.
Allow them to search through the trade books in the classroom