These resources provide information for early childhood educators who want to help children investigate insects.
Tip Sheets
Though written for elementary age children, the content of these books can be adapted for preschoolers, and the photographs are appealing and informative for any age.
This “citizen science” web site encourages the public to help track local populations of honeybees and bumblebees. Teachers can create a beespotter account and send in photos the children take of bees. Downloadable bee identification pages and information about bee-friendly gardens are also provided.
Children can use the photographs in this printable guide to butterflies of northern Illinois to help them identify butterflies they see.
This downloadable poster features color photographs of some Illinois insects on one side, and concise information about insects on the other.
This web page provides links to background information for teachers about such topics as “backyard bugs,” insect flight, and how insects benefit humans. Most can be adapted to share in early childhood classrooms.
University entomologists offer an “BugID” service for the public; they will try to identify insects from photographs sent to them.
This web page links to useful information for teachers about insects, and to classroom activity suggestions that can be adapted for preschool and kindergarten classrooms.
This online booklet features informative text and activities about common Illinois insects.
