Insect Anatomy - Structure and Function

In this lesson, students expand on their knowledge of living things, focusing on how animals have some similarities with plants but also many differences. Students create insect models to investigate how the external structures that make up different insects help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

• Animals are living things because they need food for energy so they can grow. 
• Like plants, all animals have different body parts that help them survive and grow. 
• Insects are a kind of animal with an exoskeleton, six legs, and three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen). Insects have some body parts in common that help them survive.  
• There are more insects on Earth than all other land animals put together, and different kinds of insects have some different body parts that set them apart from one another.

• How do animals get food differently from how plants get food?
• How else are all living things similar? 
• How are all insects similar? 
• Why is the exoskeleton important? Why are antennae important? Why is the thorax of the insect important?  
• How are the legs and wings similar?
• How do the external parts/structures that make up different insects help them survive, grow, and meet their needs?
  
  

Misconception: Birds, fish, and insects are not animals.

Fact: There are many different kinds of animals, including birds, fish, and insects. An animal is any living thing that eats other living things for food.

Misconception: The different parts of an animal are random and serve no purpose.

Fact: An animal has different parts (structures) that it uses to help it access what it needs to survive, grow, and develop.

Abdomen:  the back segment of an insect where the stomach is; some insects also have stingers here

Animal:  a living thing that needs to eat other living things for energy, breathes oxygen, and undergoes growth and reproduction

Antennae: body parts of insects that are used to smell, touch, and taste things

Colony :  a group of insects living together in one space; ants, bees, and wasps live in colonies

Communicate: to share information with

Head: the front segment of an insect where the antennae, mouthparts, and eyes are found

Insect: an animal with an exoskeleton, six legs, and three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen)

Thorax: the middle segment of an insect where the legs and wings are found

Parts of an Animal

Not all animals have legs. But all animals have different parts that help them get what they need to survive.

All insects have antennae on their heads. Antennae are sometimes called “feelers.” This is because the antennae help the insect smell, touch, and taste things around it. People don’t have antennae. We use our hands to touch things. We use our nose to smell things.

An insect’s antennae are on its head. Its eyes are also on its head. Just like people, insects use their eyes to see what is around them. The head is also where the insect’s mouthparts are. Insects use their mouths to eat food and drink water. People also have mouths. We put food and water in our mouths when we eat.

All insects have three segments. The head is the front segment of an insect. The middle segment is the thorax. The thorax holds the insect’s six legs. It is also where its wings are. Finally, the back segment is the abdomen. This is where an insect’s stomach is. Food goes to the stomach.

For the hands-on activity in this lesson, students create insect models to help them answer the question of how an insect uses its body parts to survive, grow, and meet its needs. Students use their models to construct a verbal explanation about how each body part they modeled has a specific function that helps the insect survive, including seeing, moving, holding items, eating, and protecting themselves. Students present their insect model to the class, using what they know about animal survival to describe the function of each body part.