Insects For Grade 3: Body Parts, Movement, Life Cycle & Fun Facts

This is a comprehensive lesson plan for teaching insects to grade 3 students. The lesson is designed to make the concepts easy and engage students with activities like quizzes, practice questions, worksheets, visual aids like images, and real-life examples.

Teachers can use this guide as a reference for delivering the concepts to students and engaging them in the classroom with the various questions and examples given in this page.

For parents, there are 12 downloadable practice worksheets that they can use for their kids.

In this article, you will learn:

body parts of insects
movement of insects
habitat of insects
life-cycle of insects
useful and harmful insects

All living beings, including insects, are interesting creatures. The largest animal population on Earth is made up of these small creatures. Almost everywhere in the world is home to over one million different types of insects. Let's learn more about them.

Body Parts of Insects:

There are three main body parts in insects:

Head: The insect's head is where its eyes, antennae (fingers), and mouth are situated. Insects rely on their eyes for vision, antennae for perception, & mouth for digestion.
Thorax: Thorax is the central body part of an insect. The legs & wings are linked to it. The majority of insects possess six legs that are linked to the thorax.
Abdomen: Insects possess a small abdominal cavity that serves as their back section. Some insects have wings that contain the digestive system, & its contents are a vital component. Additionally, it contains the reproductive system.

Image of insect - 1

Movement of Insects:

Various insects prefer alternative methods of motion.

Image of insect - 2

Walking: Most insects, including ants, walk on six legs. This enables them to be fast, which aids them in finding food & escaping danger.
Flying: The common insects with special things like wings for flying. Flying makes it possible for them to travel farther for food or shelter.
Jumping: Some insects, such as grasshoppers, have powerful legs with which they can jump high or far.
Swimming: Some insects use their legs to swim like paddles. Diving beetles have hairs on their legs to help them swim.

Habitat of Insects

The habitat of insects also determines their living condition. They can be found in forests, gardens, even deserts & inside homes. Other insects occupy trees, areas of rock, or soil. Every bug has its habitat:

Hives are composed of either wax found in trees or hives made by humans where bees live.
To reach their habitat, ants built tunnels & chambers.
They are known to find food (in the shape of flowers) in gardens & meadows.

Image of insect - 3

Life Cycle of Insects

Metamorphosis: The process in which insects grow & change.

Insects typically undergo four stages:

Image of insect - 4

Egg: The first stage begins when an insect lays eggs.

Larva (Caterpillar or Maggot): After the egg hatches, a small insect called a larva is born. It looks different from an adult insect.

Pupa (Chrysalis or Cocoon): The larva becomes a pupa. At times, the pupa can be motionless, but this is when inside the insect undergoes a tremendous transformation.

Adult: The adult insect emerges from the pupa. It is mature & capable of reproduction, marking the beginning of another cycle.

Useful and Harmful Insects

Insects are very helpful as well as harmful to humans and the environment.

Useful Insects:

Bees are very important because they help pollinate plants, meaning they help plants grow and produce fruit.
Ladybugs eat pests like aphids that harm plants, making them helpful for gardeners.
Silkworms make silk, which is used to create clothes.

Harmful Insects:

Mosquitoes can spread diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika virus.
Termites consume wood and can damage houses and buildings.
Cockroaches carry germs that can make people sick, especially in kitchens.

Fun Facts About Insects

Butterflies taste with their feet - They have taste sensors on their feet to find the right plants to lay their eggs on.
Some insects can glow - Fireflies produce light in a special way called bioluminescence, helping them communicate with each other.
Ants can carry 50 times their weight - This makes them strong enough to carry food back to their colony.
Insects communicate without words - Many insects, for example, bees and ants, communicate to one another through chemicals, known as pheromones.
The longest-lived insect is a queen termite - A queen termite can live for up to 50 years.

Things you have learned!

The different body parts of insects
How different insects move
Habitats of insects
Life-cycle of insects
Useful and harmful insects

Quiz

1. What is the first part of an insect's body?
A) Abdomen
B) Thorax
C) Head
D) Wings

2. Which of these insects can fly?
A) Ant
B) Grasshopper
C) Butterfly
D) Termite

3. What do bees help with?
A) Eating plants
B) Pollinating plants
C) Building nests
D) Carrying food

4. How many legs does an insect have?
A) Four
B) Six
C) Eight
D) Ten

5. What is the life stage of an insect when it changes inside a cocoon?
A) Egg
B) Larva
C) Pupa
D) Adult