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Insect Communication: How Do Insects "Talk" to Each other?

Completed by 13 learners
Ages 9-12
Live One-Time Class
In this 1 hr. class, students will learn about insect communications through scent, sound, touch, and dance! This class alternates between discussion of insect facts and games to help students understand non-verbal communication.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(55 reviews)

Live video meetings
Meets once
3-8 learners per class
60 min

What's included

1 live meeting
1 in-class hours

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 honey bees as a case study to understand communication through dance. We will then play an in-class game called "Communication - How easy is it?". This game was designed to help students understand why details are important when we communicate and how difficult it must be to communicate through movement instead of words. 

Case Study 2: Bess Beetles
We will use bess beetles as a case study for communication through sound. Bess beetles are unique in that they live in family groups and the adult beetles regurgitate to feed their grubs. They have the ability to create as many as 13 unique sounds and spend most of their lives in rotting logs or underneath them. How many different sounds can you make without using your voice? 

Case Study 3: Fireflies
We will use fireflies as a case study for communication through light. Male fireflies fly around to look for female fireflies that stay perched. They blink back and forth to find an individual of the same species. Did you know that fireflies are predatory? Yes, most of them eat other insects. After learning all about fireflies, we will play a game where students will attempt to find their match in a sky of blinking lights.

Case Study 4: Pheromones
Finally, we will discuss communication through smell using a variety of insects: moths, wasps, termites, etc. as examples. Insect scents, or pheromones, come in a variety of messages. We will be discussing scents to find eachother, scents to follow for food, and scents that warn of danger! We will learn why you should NEVER eat a banana near a bee hive! We will check out the large feathery antennae of a silk moth under the microscope and we may even trick termites into walking in circles.

This class can easily be modified for older students. If you would like an advanced version of this class, please private message me and we will set it up! 

If the scheduled times do not work for your student, PLEASE request a time that works for you. Auto-scheduling has been set up and will allow you to create any class within my availability.

Learning Goals

Students will improve their understanding of forms of non-verbal communication and how it is used in the animal kingdom, especially in insects.

Other Details

Parental Guidance
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."
Supply List
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.
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
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

Meet the teacher

Joined December, 2021
5.0
55reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I graduated with my BS in Entomology from Michigan State University in 2013.

Reviews



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