Insect Communication: How Do Insects "Talk" to Each other?
Class experience
Students will be introduced to different forms of insect communication. This class alternates between case studies of unique insects and zoom games to help students understand the concepts. In my experience, even young students can learn high level science as long as it is engaging and presented in a fun or game-like context. Your learner can join me and their peers to learn some cool facts and play bug games about verbal and nonverbal communication! Case Study 1: Honey Bees We will use...
This class is taught in English.
Students will improve their understanding of forms of non-verbal communication and how it is used in the animal kingdom, especially in insects.
I graduated with my BS in Entomology from Michigan State University in 2013.
Students should be prepared with a blank sheet of paper, a pencil, and a flashlight that is easily turned on and off. Yes, you can use a phone flashlight if you would like. If students do not have a flashlight, they will still be able to participate in the firefly game with their hands.
When talking about insect communication, sometimes students will inquire about insect mating. In this class, I will briefly discuss mating pheromones. In this age group, I use phrases like, "Some moths can smell friends from miles away." or "The fireflies are flashing unique flash patterns to find friends of the same species."
Photo Credits: All photos used are covered under creative commons or the public domain and the authors of said pictures may or may not endorse this content. See credits below for authorship and links to the licenses. Photos were not edited from their original form. Honey Bee Photo by: Carlos Eduardo Joos Located at: https://flic.kr/p/2mxWda9 Licensed under: CC by 2.0 Link to License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode Bess Beetle Photo by: Katja Schulz Located at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/treegrow/47814611522 Licensed under: CC by 2.0 Link to License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode Firefly Photo by: Terry Priest Located at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/16849297@N00/541888571/ Licensed under: CC by-SA 2.0 Link to License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode Polyphemus Moth Photo by: OakleyOriginals https://flic.kr/p/7URWvz Licensed under: CC by 2.0 Link to License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode
Hi Ladies and Gents! I am an entomologist and love teaching classes on insects and biology-related topics. I also love science experiments and getting outside! If you are a boy scout or a girl scout troop, I even teach the bug badges! If you...
Group Class
$12
per classMeets once
60 min
Completed by 13 learners
Live video meetings
Ages 9-12
3-8 learners per class