Summary Explore different features of insects that help them survive. Science content Biology: Features, Adaptations of Living Things (K, 1, 3, 7) Activities in this lesson Insect eye lens UV flower pattern matching game Wasp nest study Procedure Make four stations with the activities, for students to rotate through. They learn about different (marvelous) insect adaptations which help them survive. 1. Insect eye lens with paper and markers, to help understand how an insect eye works. The image through the lens is not what the insect actually sees, as the multiple views are combined in the insect's brain to make one image. See the activity for more information. 2. UV flower pattern cards to find out the extra patterns on flowers, only seen by animals that can see UV light (not humans). These patterns guide a bee to the centre of a flower, where the nectar is. The patterns are also called 'nectar guides'. 3. Wasp nest study to marvel at the architecture and beauty of a wasp nest and how the wasp babies are raised 4. Pictures of camouflage in insects for students to look through. Some insects are camouflaged to look like leaves (dead or green), moss or flowers. This camouflage helps insects to hide from predators that See amazing camouflage in these links:https://www.treehugger.com/amazing-examples-of-insect-camouflage-4869256 would eat them. It also helps predator insects (e.g. praying mantis) hide, so that their prey might unkowingly come nearer to them. Some insects have a camouflage pattern that looks like large eyes of a much larger animal. Their predators then stay away from them. See images in this link:https://www.amazingnature-nancygoor.com/eyespots.html Some insects are camouflaged to look like bird poop! Their predators then do not try and eat them. See bird poop camouflage in these links:https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/150616-caterpillar-p…https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/these-adaptations-gi…https://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2021/8/9/bird-droppings-nope-clever-moths… Grades taught Gr K
