What is Insect Discovery?
Insect Discovery is a University of Arizona outreach program designed primarily for 2nd and 3rd graders, although other age groups are welcome to participate. We offer on-campus workshops that allow students to work with live and preserved insects. Students rotate through several stations, each aimed at teaching a biological concept such as diversity, adaptation, characteristics of organisms, and behavior. The stations incorporate material designed to meet state standards.
Goals of our program:
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Encourage students to use observational, critical thinking, and problem solving skills to formulate questions and test hypotheses.
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Instill an appreciation for the tremendous diversity among insect morphologies, life histories, and behaviors.
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Encourage the pursuit of higher education by allowing interaction with university students and exposure to the campus.
How does this work?
Insect Discovery workshops are held on Tuesday & Thursday mornings throughout the Spring semester. The workshops begin around 9:30AM (depending on your required travel time to the University), and last about 2 hours. Students and teachers are invited to bring a sack lunch for "lunch on the lawn" directly following the morning workshop. Check out our schedule page for available dates.
Students often get more out of the workshops when they have already had some exposure to the basics of insect biology. Therefore, in the Fall semester, the Insect Discovery Program offers classroom visits to elementary schools in the Tucson area. The visits are between 45 and 60 minutes long. Teachers can select from a range of activities including exploration of insect diversity, insect communication, insect anatomy and insect behavior. There is no charge for visits. To schedule a visit, please email Kathleen Walker after August 20th (krwalker@ag.arizona.edu). Additional materials for teachers who wish to teach more about insects will be posted on the links page.
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