Make an Insect Parts Puzzle

In this science activity, kids make and put together a puzzle while learning the parts of an insect.

You can tell if an animal is an insect by counting its parts: every insect has SIX legs, THREE body parts (head, thorax and abdomen) and TWO antennae. Insects also usually have wings. All insects also have a skeleton, but it’s on the outside of their body. This is called an “exoskeleton.”

Although spiders are creepy and crawly, they are not insects. So what is the difference? Spiders have EIGHT legs, TWO body parts and ZERO antennae or wings!

The world is full of helpful insects: butterflies help to grow flowers by carrying pollen; honeybees make honey; and ladybugs help keep other insects from hurting the leaves on plants. But some insects are trouble-makers. For example, aphids can harm a plant by eating its leaves, termites can damage a house by eating up the wood inside, and mosquitoes can harm humans by biting them and making them itch!

An entomologist is a scientist who studies insects. They study what insects do, where they live, what they eat and how they act. Entomologists also classify insects and put them into groups by how they are the same or different. An entomologist can work anywhere insects live, and insects live all over the world (usually on land). Insects can even be found on top of snow and ice in places like Antarctica! Entomologists sometimes also work in a laboratory, where they can watch insects closely and do experiments.