About the K-12 Insect Outreach Kits
The Department of Entomology offers a variety of insect outreach kits designed for K-12 education. These kits provide hands-on materials and activities to engage students in learning about insects and their ecological roles. They are ideal for teachers, librarians, Extension educators, and more who are looking to incorporate entomology into their curriculum.
Kits Available for Checkout
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 1 and 1A: Insect Life Cycles
With this kit, students will learn about the life cycle of insects. The included “pasta” activity will illustrate that animals can go through major changes as they grow and develop. Some insects (like butterflies, but also beetles, flies, and bees) develop by complete metamorphosis with 4 life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Recommended Grade Level: PK-3
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 2: Insect Aesthetics
Insects are diverse and have aesthetic value. This kit includes a variety of pinned specimens that demonstrate the beauty among insects. It also includes an origami activity where students can make a number of different insects.
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 3: Cockroach Tractor Pull
Many insects are capable of lifting and moving many times their body weight. At the 2012 Olympics in London, a gold medalist in men’s weightlifting (Ilya Ilyin) managed to lift 513 pounds. Elephants can lift 600 pounds with their trunk. But for their size, insects are the real champion weightlifters, some species able to lift 50 times their weight!
This kit includes an activity that demonstrates how Madagascar hissing cockroaches can carry more than their weight. Cockroach “athletes” will be provided when the kit is requested.
Recommended Grade Level: 6-8
Kit 4: Insect Communication
Insects, like humans and other animals, communicate in many ways…sight, touch, smell, and sound. This kit includes an activity that demonstrates how insects like termites release pheromones to indicate to other termites where food is located or alert of danger. Termites will be provided for the activity.
Recommended Grade Level: 3-4
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 5: Be the Bee
Bees are extremely good pollinators. What traits make them so? Things such as hairy bodies and special pouches on their legs allow them to spread pollen efficiently. This kit includes a game that demonstrates how bee characteristics make them such successful pollinators.
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 6: Insect Basics
What makes an insect? Some unique characteristics that all insects have that separate them from other animals are an exoskeleton, 3 pairs of legs, antennae, and (usually) wings. Within the insects, there are also a variety of different types of mouthparts, wings, legs, and antennae that help species adapt to their environment.
This kit includes a number of insect models and pinned specimens demonstrating the diversity of insect design. An accompanying activity asks students to create their own insect based on what they have learned about insect anatomy and behavior (e.g., raptorial legs help grab prey in praying mantids, a predatory insect)
Recommended Grade Level: PK-2
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 7: Insect Costumes and Puppets
This kit offers a variety of costumes/clothing and puppets with an insect theme for use in your programs. Examples include ladybugs and bees.
View Contents of KitAvailable for Public Checkout
Kit 8: Insect Stamps and Rubbings
This kit is good for a booth or large group event. It includes a number of insect rubber stamps and a rubbing activity students can do with insect templates.
View Contents of KitAvailable for Public Checkout
Kit 9: Insect Collecting and Pinning
This kit provides an insect collection for observation and large wooden insect examples to practice pinning. After learning proper collecting and pinning techniques, students can practice their skills by capturing and collecting their own specimens. Items needed for collection/pinning are included, including a field guide that can assist with identification.
Kit 10: Compost Critters
This kit includes insect containers, gloves, and digging tools for use in going through compost/soil in search of arthropods. Teach about the types of arthropods that help us in aerating soil and breaking down organic matter.
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 11: Pest Scene Investigation
This kit teaches about pest insects and integrated pest management. It also provides a look at pests using forensic science. How are pests like criminals? What are methods for finding insect evidence and how can we control insects? With a number of activities and demonstration materials, this kit provides a thorough look at what pests are, what damage they do, and how to manage them.
Recommended Grade Level: 4-7
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 12: Entomology Escape
Learn about insects and put your problem solving skills to work as you try to unlock boxes and find an important Entomology lab document! This kit is adjustable to 20-60 minute time frames, depending on your classroom needs.
Recommended Grade Level: 4-8
Available for Public Checkout
Kit 13: Insect Adaptation
In this lesson, students will learn about insect adaptations in regards to how insects differ from humans, how they differ from each other, and how that can change over time.
Recommended Grade Level: 3-5
View Lesson PlanKit 14: Entomophagy (Coming Soon)
Kit 15: Beneficial Insects
This kit provides information and activities about beneficial insects and related arthropods, such as pollinators, predatory insects, and spiders.