How to Make a Bug Collection for 6th Grade
A common school project assigned to sixth-graders is making a bug collection. A bug collection teaches students how to identify various bugs and how to group those that share common characteristics. This science project also teaches kids which insects are beneficial to the environment and which are harmful. Since most kids need a little help making an insect collection, here are a few tips that will help your child create a collection he will be excited to show off.
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Things You'll Need
- Insects
- Insect guide book
- Shoebox
- Foam board
- Scissors
- Sheet
- Sweep net
- Butterfly net
- Aquatic net
- Glass jar
- Insect pins
- Cardstock
- Glue
Instructions
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Purchase or check out a book at the library that shows illustrated photos of insects. An insect guide book will give your child an idea of what sort of bugs he should be looking for.
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Use a cardboard box for his bug collection. At this age, a large shoe box titled "Insect Collection," along with your child's name, works well.
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Cut a piece of foam, Styrofoam or foam board to match the size of the shoebox.
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Find insects. To do this, spread an old sheet underneath a tree branch or a shrub branch. Shake the branches until bugs fall out. Use a sweep net (a net made of sturdy cloth that can be swept through the weeds without snagging and being torn) to catch insects. Or use a butterfly net to catch butterflies and moths. Use an aquatic net to find insects near the edges of ponds and marshy areas.
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Place hard-bodied insects (beetles, plant-eating insects, and grasshoppers) into a small plastic or glass container. Use an individual container or jar for each insect. Place the container in the freezer for at least 48 hours so that they are dead but still malleable.
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Pin medium to large insects using insect pins. Check the insect guide book to find the proper pin position for the insect. Be careful as you pin the insect. Its easy to damage an insect's body part if the pin is not in the right position.
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Pick the butterfly up by the thorax. Gently pinch the thorax to move the wings. Pin the butterfly through the thorax. Spread the butterfly wings. Set a thin strip of cardstock over each wing. Pin the cardstock to the spreading board. Avoid pinning through the wing. When the butterfly is dry, remove the pins that are holding the strips of paper. Place the butterfly with the rest of the bugs in the shoebox.
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Glue a small card beneath the insect. Add details about the insect on the card such as the common name, Latin name, the location it was collected and the date it was collected.
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Use a triangle piece of card paper to pin insects that are too small to pin. Glue insects to the wide end of the triangle and place the pin through the narrow end.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear long sleeves and pants if you are searching for bugs in a wooded area.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
