Homeschool Unit Study: Insects

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Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology.

Insects make up the largest class of the phylum Arthropoda, which is the largest of the animal phyla. Insects pack a punch in their sheer number alone. They have three parts of their bodies: the head, the three-segmented thorax, and the abdomen. Each of the parts carries various responsibilities; for example, the thorax usually has one or two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs.

Insects play a number of important roles that are important in nature, from aiding in the decomposition of organic matter to pollination of plants. Some provide products that humans use frequently, such as honey, pigments, silk, and wax. Though some insects are beneficial, it is worth noting that many can wreak havoc on crops and environments. Some species are particularly well known for their destructive power, such as termite swarms and grasshopper plagues.

Insects inhabit every land and freshwater habitat where they can locate food, some of them surviving in environments that seem impossible to live off of, such as pools of crude petroleum. They are remarkably resilient creatures that have, in many cases, survived generation upon generation.

Insects are far more common than most people realize. It is estimated that in a square yard of rich moist surface soil, there are more than 500 insects present, with some regions getting up to 2,000 in a square yard of soil. However, the “giants” are usually the only ones that humans notice, such as butterflies or a large beetle waddling around.

Insects are a fascinating topic for homeschool unit study. Who knows, maybe your littler learner is a future entomologist.