Project Due: October 3rd !
Name ________________
Period # ______
Date ______________
MRS. TOTTEN’S SEVENTH GRADE SCIENCE: INSECT COLLECTION
Every seventh grade student in Churchill Jr. High will be completing a small insect collection
(15 different insects) this year in order to better understand how living things are classified, or
grouped. Be sure to get started on this project right away! Instructions on how to identify
and prepare your insects will be demonstrated in school, but the following information should be
helpful.
WHAT IS AN INSECT?
Insects are a class of organisms that belong to the phylum, Arthropoda. This phylum contains
insects, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, crayfish and other organisms. You will be collecting
only insects. After collecting insects you will be organizing them into groups called “orders”.
INSECT CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Has 6 legs (3 pairs of legs)
2. Has 3 body regions (head, abdomen, thorax)
3. 1 pair of antennae
4. exoskeleton
DO NOT COLLECT ORGANISMS THAT ARE NOT INSECTS- NO SPIDERS, CENTIPEDES,
MILLIPEDES, SOW BUGS, ETC.
INSECT SUPPLIES: (Depends on whether you choose Choice A or Choice B
Choice A – Regular Insect Collection
1. Kill Jar: Clean jars with lids. Wide mouth jars are best. Examples: pickle jars, mason jars,
or peanut butter jars
a) Finger nail polish remover and cotton balls
2. Kill by Freezing: Small Dixie Cup covered with saran wrap and rubber band or other small
covered container.
3. Sewing Straight pins : These will be used to pin your insects onto the display.
4. Covered Display- piece of Styrofoam large enough to pin all insects and labels to. Display
must be covered. Examples: Foil cake pan with cover, homemade box.
5. Optional supplies: tweezers, gloves (if you do not want to handle the insects), index cards
(for labels), scissors, clear glue or nail polish (for small insects), nets. NETS CAN BE MADE
WITH STICK AND PILLOW CASE.
Choice B – Photograph Insect Collection Ring
1. Camera: Student must have their own color photo camera with date/time stamp
capability
2. Collection Jar with lid: wide-mouth jars with lids work best for catch and release. Place
only 1 insect in jar at a time, photograph, and release. If possible, you may photograph
insect in natural environment, but must be close-up for identification.
3. Internet access - to obtain interesting fact & determine if life cycle is complete or
incomplete metamorphosis. (Students may ask me for an advisory library pass)
CHOICE A: COLLECTING AND PRESERVING TECHNIQUES:
a) Freezing: place in small covered Dixie cup or other container and place in freezer for at
least 24 hours. Freezing causes insects to become brittle. Pin within 2 days of freezing with
exception of cockroaches. Freeze cockroaches for 2 weeks!
b) The Kill Jar: obtain a jar. Soak 2-3 cotton balls with nail polish remover. Place in bottom
of jar. Do not over soak cotton balls; add just enough to fill the jar with fumes. This will not
only kill the insects, but also cause insects to become more “flexible” and ready to be pinned. Pin
shortly after killing to prevent drying out. If insects are stiff, leave them in jar for 6-8 hours
before pinning. Insects need not be frozen first; they can be placed right into the jar.
c) Pinning: Pin the insects through the THORAX - sturdiest portion of their body or on either
side of the body as to hold them in place. Exceptions are beetles that should be pinned through
right wing or wing cover. If they are too small to pin, glue them to an index card that has been
cut into a pie shape. Put them either
1) in your display case pinned to the Styrofoam so they can easily be moved to their final
display. In the beginning, do not worry about identifying Order name and Common Name –
focus on collecting your 15 insects. We will go over insect orders in class.
d) REQUIRED FOR CHOICE A & CHOICE B: Classifying: you must label both the order
and the common name of the insect. Labels should be typed or neatly hand written.
Example:
Order: Lepidoptera
Common Name: Monarch Butterfly
(simply butterfly would not be enough-must be specific)
e) Creativity: Be creative in how you set up you display. This is your project, make it unique!
CHOICE B: COLLECTING & GUIDELINES:
a) Student must supply their own camera. Camera should have date /time stamp. If
date/time stamp is not available, other proof must be provided to show that picture was
not just extracted from internet. See Teacher for acceptable alternative.
b) Student must develop and print off close-up color photos. Pictures must be close up
enough to identify insect according to details.
HINTS FOR LOCATING INSECTS:
1. Light: some insects are attracted to light. Collect around porch light in evenings. Shine a
bright light onto a white sheet. Insects can be flicked right into your jar or bag.
2. Gardens: look in gardens or flower beds; under leaves and on stems of plants.
3. Water: some insects have aquatic stages or live near water. Check lake, pond, and river
edges for dragonflies, mayflies, and damselflies. Look on top water and below rocks for water
beetles and bugs.
4. Organic Matter: check out rotting logs, decaying leaves, and compost piles.
5. Other:
a) look for roaches and silverfish in evening or night (they only come out in the dark)
b) pour soapy water into sidewalk cracks
c) look under flat stones or boards
d) collect on bright sunny days for the most insect finds
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
a) KEEP ANY DUPLICATES! You may make a mistake pinning and need a “better”
specimen.
b) HANDLE CAREFULLY! A good specimen doesn’t have missing parts. A little
damage is ok, but try your best to keep them in tact.
c) DIFFERENT SEXES OF THE SAME INSECT CAN BE USED : a male Sphinx
Moth and a female Sphinx Moth. This would be considered two different insects for
your collection.
RESOURCES:
Websites: stotten.weebly.com My class website is your best resource. It contains a
photo album of the insect orders with local insect examples. My website also contains links
to other websites that feature Illinois Insects.
Insect Identification Guides: Later in the unit, students will learn how to use our Insect
Identification guides. Then students will be able to check these books out for use overnight.
Galesburg Public Library: Insect identification guides may also be found and checked out
at the local libraries.
PLEASE REMEMBER: students only need to identify ORDER name and COMMON
NAME. No scientific names are required.
FOR NOW: Just collect the 15 insects. Worry about identification later, after we study the
different insect orders.
DUE DATE FOR THE PROJECT IS
OCTOBER 3RD!
Have fun in the great outdoors!
Mrs. Totten
GET ‘R’ DONE!
You asked me to do it.
I promised to do it.
I planned to do it.
I started to do it.
I really meant to do it.
Except, I forgot.
Couldn't I get some credit?
For promising,
Planning, Starting,
And, really meaning to do it?
Guess not.
DON’T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE-START COLLECTING NOW!